GIFT  OF 


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JUST  PLAIN 
CHICKEN  TALK 


By  WILLIAM  COULTAS  DeLAPP 


Copyrighted  1922 
By  WILLIAM  COULTAS  DeLAPP 

Pasadena.  Calif. 


1 


PRESERVATION 
COPY  ADDED 
ORIGINAL  TO  BE 
RETAINED 


INTRODUCTION 

Just  plain  chicken  talk  is  the  title  of  this  book  and  just  a 
plain  everyday  poultry  man  wrote  it.  The  idea  of  writing  a 
book  had  never  occurred  to  the  author,  but  after  talking 
and  explaining  chickens  to  hundreds  of  men  and  women 
engaged  in  this  particular  business  he  was  led  at  their  earn- 
est solicitation  to  set  forth  his  ideas  and  the  ideas  of  others 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact.  In  the  following  pages 
the  author  has  simply  tried,  with  no  attempt  at  fine  phrase- 
ology and  detailed  theory,  to  explain  what  he  knows  about 
poultry.  This  book  is  based  upon  practical  chicken  know- 
ledge by  practical  people  with  no  attempt  to  offer  any  plan 
or  suggestion  which  cannot  be  practically  carried  out. 

There  is  a  prevailing  idea  that  there  are  many  failures  in 
the  poultry  business.  This  is  the  wrong  impression.  Of  those 
who  take  up  the  business  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  there  are 
no  more  failures  than  in  any  other  vocation.  To  be  sure 
there  have  been  some  large  failures,  but  this  has  been  mostly 
due  to  lack  of  experience,  or  perhaps  they  have  had  some 
ideas  as  to  the  feeding,  housing,  etc.,  that  they  wanted  to 
carry  out  at  the  expense  of  their  pocketbook.  It  most  cer- 
tainly is  experience  that  counts,  or  at  least  it  pays  to  follow 
the  advice  of  one  who  has  had  experience  and  made  a  success 
of  the  business.  I  would  not  think  of  entering  the  dressmak- 
ing business  without  some  knowledge  or  experience,  yet  we 
have  heard  of  failures  on  this  account  in  the  poultry  busi- 
ness. Don't  ever  think  that  because  you  have  read  of  the 
success  of  others  who  have  had  years  of  experience,  that 
with  money  you  can  accomplish  more  than  they.  Money 
at  the  spur  of  the  moment  will  not  do  any  great  amount  of 
good.  If  you  had  the  equivalent  in  a  flock  of  good  birds  and 
experience  or  knowledge,  you  would  be  in  a  position  to  suc- 
ceed. I  would  rather  have  knowledge  and  experience  than 
money  to  start  in  the  poultry  business,  though  both  are 
necessary  in  their  respective  places.  Even  with  knowledge, 
you  will  find  so  many  little  things  that  only  experience  can 
teach.  Many  wish  to  start  in  the  poultry  business,  but  have 
no  funds.  Never  get  discouraged,  because  if  you  have  nerve 


481500 


.      < 


you  will  succeed.  If  you  can't  start  with  a  few  birds,  get  a 
setting  of  eggs  from  a  good  laying  strain.  It  is  the  eggs  that 
make  the  hens  pay.  Bend  your  every  effort  toward  the  egg 
laying  function.  It  is  up  to  you  to  make  her  lay.  If  you  suc- 
ceed you  need  not  ask,  "Why  have  I  failed  ?" 

Commercial  egg  farming  is  considered  generally  to  be 
more  profitable  than  any  other  branch  of  poultry  keeping. 
But  it  requires  care,  regularity,  and  close  attention  for  every 
day  in  the  year.  It  seems  that  I  make  so  many  trips  to  the 
hen  house  with  feed,  etc.,  throughout  the  day  and  am  always 
sure  that  they  have  plenty  of  fresh  water,  but  every  time 
I  come  back  well  supplied  with  eggs.  If  neglected  for  a  single 
day,  you  are  liable  to  send  the  hens  into  the  molt  and  away 
goes  your  egg  production  for  four  or  five  weeks.  To  some, 
the  care  of  poultry  is  monotonous.  The  work  is  the  same 
from  day  to  day  and  does  not  differ  much  from  month  to 
month,  but  the  work  requires  our  best  attention.  There  is 
always  something  coming  up  that  requires  study.  There  is 
surely  enough  uncertainty  in  the  business  to  keep  one  won- 
dering how  things  are  going  to  turn  out.  The  main  source 
of  profit  is  from  eggs,  either  hatching  or  for  the  market, 
also  in  small  flocks  for  table  use.  Every  effort  should  be 
bent  toward  a  large  production  of  eggs,  especially  in  the 
winter  months.  There  is  no  money  in  mongrels.  The  strain 
is  of  much  more  importance  than  the  breed.  A  hen  lacking 
vim,  vigor,  and  vitality,  will  not  make  a  good  egg  machine. 
Some  hens  are  so  inbred  that  they  will  not  pay  for  their  keep. 
Also  the  kind,  amount  of  feed,  and  the  method  of  feeding 
has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  egg  production.  A  hen  to  be  a 
good  layer  must  be  well  fed.  I  once  knew  of  a  successful 
poultry  man  to  feed  corn  until  they  would  tire  of  it,  then  he 
would  change  to  something  else  and  continue  these  changes 
until  he  had  exhausted  the  list  of  grains  when  he  would  start 
on  the  corn  again.  He  said  that  it  was  the  change  that  they 
wanted  and  that  was  what  made  them  lay.  They  will  never 
tire  of  a  mash  fed  every  day  with  a  grain  fed  in  the  litter. 
If  a  hen  is  going  to  lay, — well,  she  must  be  sent  to  the  roost 
with  a  full  crop.  If  you  are  changing  the  feed,  work  from 
one  into  the  other  gradually,  but  I  rather  disagree  with  the 
man  who  fed  first  one  thing  and  then  the  other.  System  is 
the  word  that  I  apply  to  the  poultry  game,  for  system  is 
what  pays.  Have  you  ever  gone  into  the  hen  house  when  the 
fowls  have  gone  to  roost  and  examined  some  of  the  crops  of 
some  of  the  hens  ?  If  a  hen's  crop  is  empty  you  may  be  sure 


that  she  is  not  a  laying  hen  and  "by  the  way,"  this  is  a  good 
method  of  culling.  Take  her  out  and  find  what  is  the  matter 
with  her.  If  she  is  sick,  get  her  out  of  there.  She  may  be 
lousy,  which  a  great  many  times  is  the  case.  A  good  mash 
is  wheat  bran,  2  parts ;  shorts,  1  part ;  linseed  meal,  1  part ; 
beef  scrap,  1  part ;  corn  meal,  1  part ;  and  alfalfa  meal,  1  part. 
Another  good  mash  is  2  sacks  of  bran,  2  sacks  rolled  barley, 
25  pounds  fish  meal,  8  pounds  ground  bone,  25  pounds  feed 
meal,  13%  pounds  soy  bean  meal,  10  ounces  of  salt.  It  may 
be  a  little  added  work  to  see  that  the  fowls  have  a  full  crop 
at  night,  but  such  attention  will  yield  its  full  reward  in  eggs. 
It  is  very  important  to  always  bear  in  mind  that  the  founda- 
tion of  any  poultry  flock  is  the  well  bred  chick.  There  is 
vastly  more  to  the  chicken  business  besides  building  fine 
houses,  throwing  out  the  grain,  and  gathering  the  eggs.  It 
is  a  business  that  requires  hard  work  and  lots  of  patience 
besides  a  little  money  to  start  with. 

To  the  many  hundreds  of  poultry  men  and  women  who 
have  been  kind  to  me  in  aiding  me  in  my  work,  this  book  is 
respectfully  dedicated.  Also  due  credit  and  acknowledgment 
is  given  to  our  government  in  the  agricultural  department, 
to  other  manufacturers  of  poultry  products,  also  mill  men, 
and  to  our  universities  who  are  doing  a  great  work  in  this 
line.  My  own  practical  experience,  careful  study  and  re- 
search work  has  also  been  a  big  factor  in  producing  this 
book. 

William  Coultas  De  Lapp. 

Pasadena,  California,  1922. 


EXPERIENCE  NECESSARY 

It  must  be  remembered  that  actual  practical  experience  is 
very  necessary.  Also  that  an  ounce  of  experience  is  worth 
one  pound  of  theory.  You  can  save  considerable  money,  dis- 
appointment, and  much  loss  by  knowing  the  causes  of  suc- 
cess and  failures  in  others.  Profit  by  the  experience  of  other 
people  as  well  as  by  your  own. 

In  entering  the  poultry  business,  the  very  essential  thing 
is  a  good  foundation  for  your  flock  in  the  way  of  absolutely 
good  stock.  Not  altogether  bred  from  a  hen  that  will  lay 
300  eggs  and  better  for  a  year,  because  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  a  hen  that  will  lay  330  to  350  eggs  a  year  is  about 


one  in  three  million  and  the  best  breeders  in  the  land  have 
found  that  to  establish  a  flock  from  too  high  prestige  birds 
usually  results  in  disappointment.  A  chicken  hatched  from 
a  300  egg  hen  or  better,  really  has  not  the  vitality  and  the 
laying  capacity  that  a  chicken  hatched  from  a  flock  averag- 
ing from  180  to  250  per  year  has. 

The  question  is, 

WHEN  DOES  IT  PAY  TO  INCUBATE  EGGS? 

This  question  is  often  asked  as  to  whether  it  pays  to  in- 
cubate eggs  out  of  so-called  hatching  season.  From  my  own 
experience,  I  am  prepared  to  say  that  I  think  it  does  pay  and 
have  a  great  many  reasons  for  saying  so.  First,  eggs  which 
are  produced  during  summer  months  would  not  bring  as 
much  as  the  winter  eggs  if  sold  at  ordinary  market  prices, 
so  that  not  so  much  is  risked  when  you  put  them  into  an  in- 
cubator and  if  only  a  small  percent  of  the  eggs  are  reaped 
from  them,  the  net  results  will  be  greater. 

As  we  all  know,  July  and  August  are  trying  months  for 
young  chicks,  yet  it  is  possible  to  feed  and  care  for  them 
so  that  there  is  but  the  ordinary  loss.  The  second  reason  for 
incubating  continually  is  so  that  you  will  have  pullets  of  dif- 
ferent ages  coming  into  maturity  in  succession  and  so  being 
able  to  get  eggs  at  all  times  of  the  year.  Dairy  men  use  this 
method  of  getting  milk.  By  having  new  milch  cows  from 
time  to  time  they  will  thus  be  able  to  supply  customers  with 
milk  every  day  in  the  year,  and  if  you  have  a  private  egg 
trade,  your  customers  will  appreciate  the  fact  of  getting 
fresh  eggs  at  all  seasons  and  plenty  of  them.  A  third  reason 
is  that  your  interest  in  the  work  is  kept  up.  There  is  a  fasci- 
nation for  things  that  have  life  and  especially  so  with  eggs, 
and  little  chicks  have  a  way  of  keeping  one  over  the  border- 
land of  uncertainty.  This  very  fact  keeps  us  interested  in 
our  work  which  never  grows  monotonous  as  so  many  other 
things  do,  nor  does  the  interest  lag  as  the  chicks  become 
quite  healthy.  To  the  real  honest-to-goodness  fancier,  the 
study  of  birds  as  they  develop  becomes  more  full  of  interest 
at  each  new  set  of  birds.  If  you  watch  their  growth  and  de- 
velopment, you  will  find  yourself  forming  an  opinion  of  the 
relative  value  of  different  fowls  and  if  you  are  familiar  with 
requirements  of  the  standard  of  perfection,  you  will  keep 
comparing  them  as  they  grow  and  come  near  to  maturity, 


for  this  is  the  way  you  will  be  constantly  educating  yourself 
in  reference  to  fowls. 

Some  chickens  are  culls  from  the  beginning  because  of 
stuntedness,  color,  or  plumage.  Birds  with  some  of  these 
defects  may  be  disposed  of  as  they  will  not  do  to  use  for 
breeders  and  the  cost  of  their  keep  will  be  more  than  they 
are  worth  and  yet  there  are  some  that  keep  them  for  the 
first  season's  egg  production  only  and  then  dispose  of  them 
for  table  use.  You  should  learn  to  cull  with  a  merciless  hand 
and  cull  every  day  in  the  year,  throwing  out  everything  not 
of  the  highest  type  as  found  in  the  standard  of  perfection. 

THE  HATCHING  OF  CHICKS  WITH  INCUBATORS 

It  is  certain  without  a  doubt  that  most  incubators  would 
bring  better  results  if  the  incubator  itself  was  understood. 
It  is  more  often  the  fault  of  the  operator  than  of  the 
machine.  Almost  any  machine  if  properly  handled  so  as  to 
hold  the  fairly  even  temperature  and  if  operated  according 
to  instructions,  will  give  good  service.  To  insure  good 
hatches,  one  must  go  farther  back  than  the  incubator.  Many 
a  poor  hatch  is  taken  off  in  a  good  machine  simply  because 
the  breeder  does  not  understand  his  flock  or  rather  does  not 
understand  how  to  feed  them  and  the  machine  immediately 
is  condemned  as  a  poor  one  and  satisfactory  incubation  is 
simply  a  failure  when  as  a  matter  of  fact,  such  eggs  would 
hatch  no  better  under  a  hen.  To  begin  with,  all  heavy  food 
should  be  mixed  with  greens,  and  corn  is  fed  to  advantage 
in  the  litter.  The  real  object  of  this  is  to  get  the  flock's 
muscles  into  play  and  promote  circulation.  Not  only  do  you 
gain  in  the  number  of  eggs  but  your  birds  will  show  vim, 
vigor,  and  vitality.  It  is  as  effective  to  male  birds  as  female 
because  it  increases  circulation  and  actually  keeps  the  birds 
warmer.  How  many  have  noticed  people  in  colder  climates 
throw  their  arms  about  to  increase  the  circulation?  Like- 
wise it  stimulates  the  appetite  and  your  birds  are  given  a 
great  quantity  of  food  which  gives  energy  and  makes  eggs. 
Eggs  from  overfed  birds  are  not  apt  to  give  many  chicks, 
but  you  must  do  more  than  feed  greens  and  corn.  Too  much 
corn  is  especially  dangerous.  Great  quantities  of  good  greens 
should  be  fed.  If  your  birds  like  it  dry  in  hoppers,  by  all 
means  keep  them  filled  up  but  put  good  proportion  in  mash — 
l/3  or  1/2  will  do  no  harm.  Barley,  sudan  grass,  clover,  alfalfa 
are  all  good  and  make  an  excellent  tonic.  If  clover  can  be 


obtained,  it  is  fine  for  it  contains  lime  which  is  very  good. 
By  all  means  feed  sprouted  oats  sometime,  somehow,  and 
somewhere.  Any  food  that  will  stimulate  that  part  of  the 
body  that  needs  it,  without  injury,  is  a  most  valuable  asset. 
Sprouted  oats  particularly  fills  the  bill,  hence  it  becomes  a 
necessity  for  one  to  feed  it.  It  is  only  after  one  has  tried  the 
eggs  that  one  really  appreciates  the  value  of  sprouted  oats. 
Some  sort  of  animal  food  must  also  be  used,  therefore  our 
winter  flock  has  to  content  themselves  with  good  clean  beef 
scraps  or  fish  meal  made  from  the  heads  and  livers  of  fish. 
Ground  bone  is  advocated  as  a  good  egg  producer  also.  The 
main  thing  is  to  go  by  results  because  it  is  the  results  we 
are  after. 

Now  with  the  former  in  mind,  the  next  thing  is  how  to 
run  the  machine.  Any  machine  will  do  much  better  work  at 
50°  temperature  with  a  variation  of  2°  or  3°  than  in  a  room 
of  70°  in  days  and  60°  at  night.  If  the  thermostat  is  regulated 
to  operate,  the  damper  at  103°  in  a  room  temperature  of  70° 
and  the  room  temperature  drops  to  60°  at  night,  then  it  will 
require  more  fuel  or  the  damper  will  remain  closed  during 
the  night.  It  is  therefore  pretty  evident  that  a  uniform  tem- 
perature outside  the  machine  will  keep  the  temperature  in- 
side also,  uniform.  The  thermostat  can  take  care  of  2°  to  5° 
change  very  well,  but  when  you  expect  it  to  take  care  of  a 
change  of  10°  without  more  fuel,  you  are  asking  entirely  too 
much.  The  unheated  basement  is  an  ideal  place  because  of 
the  constant  flow  of  fresh  air.  The  natural  moisture  in  the 
air  is  tjie  only  moisture  that  is  beneficial  to  the  unhatched 
chicks  also.  If  the  eggs  are  fairly  fresh  when  set,  say  not 
over  ten  days  old,  the  ventilation  of  the  machine  well  taken 
care  of,  and  sufficient  humidity  in  the  air,  the  question  of 
applying  moisture  need  never  enter  the  operator's  mind. 
Applied  moisture  weakens  those  of  the  stronger  chicks  that 
would  have  come  out  anyway.  It  is  far  better  to  sprinkle  the 
floor  around  the  machine  and  thus  make  the  air  more  humid, 
than  to  apply  moisture  on  the  inside  of  the  case. 

To  apply  moisture  it  must  be  done  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
mix  with  the  atmosphere.  Therefore  we  must  apply  hot  or 
even  scalding  water  to  produce  vapor  which  would  quickly 
condense  and  pass  away.  Put  a  pan  of  boiling  water  into  a 
fifty-egg  machine  and  in  a  short  while  you  have  enough 
vapor  to  give  every  chick  a  turkish  bath.  If  you  open  the 
incubator  and  take  the  pan  out,  you  are  liable  to  lose  half  of 
your  chicks.  Not  only  that,  but  as  soon  as  the  water  is  put 


in,  the  mercury  in  the  thermometer  goes  up  and  the  damper 
over  the  lamp  will  rise  as  high  as  the  lever  will  allow  it  to  go. 
In  ten  seconds  an  apparent  rise  of  10  to  15°,  while  in  reality 
the  actual  temperature  of  the  unhatched  chick  is  gradually 
dropping  until,  when  things  are  fairly  normal,  your  temper- 
ature has  dropped  between  1  and  2°.  Simply  adjust  the 
thermostat  to  103°  again  as  cold  or  warm  water  will  lower 
the  temperature  and  do  no  good. 

Applying  moisture  is  always  accompanied  by  a  chill,  there- 
fore dipping  the  eggs  singly  in  a  pan  of  lukewarm  water 
should  be  discouraged.  If  under  the  aforesaid  conditions,  a 
few  chicks  are  not  able  to  crack  the  shell,  the  egg  can  be 
quickly  removed,  opened  and  replaced,  with  some  success. 

Eggs  over  ten  or  twelve  days  old  evaporate  very  rapidly, 
so  it  is  better  to  have  them  rather  under  than  over  ten  days 
old.  Eggs  three  and  four  days  old  are  excellent  and  you  can- 
not get  them  too  fresh  for  incubating. 

When  storing,  the  eggs  should  lie  on  their  sides  except 
when  being  shipped  on  a  train  or  otherwise,  and  then  they 
should  stand  on  the  small  end.  For  a  period  of  seven  or  eight 
days,  it  matters  little  whether  they  are  turned  daily  or  not. 

Some  people  make  a  hard  job  of  incubating  while  others 
do  it  with  comparative  ease.  If  attending  to  all  the  needs 
systematically,  they  are  by  no  means  a  burden.  The  time  re- 
quired depends  entirely  on  the  quickness  of  the  operator. 

An  empty  chamber  will  register  a  little  higher  than  one 
which  contains  some  matter  that  will  retain  heat,  so  the 
machine  should  register  a  fraction  over  103°  before  the  eggs 
are  put  in.  After  the  eggs  are  put  in,  the  machine  should  be 
left  alone.  Be  sure  that  your  thermostat  has  been  working 
for  36  hours.  After  two  or  three  days,  turn  the  eggs  twice 
daily  and  after  the  fifth  or  sixth  day,  three  times  daily. 
Turning  and  stirring  should  continue  regularly  until  the 
eighteenth  night,  after  which  time  the  eggs  should  be  left 
alone  so  as  to  get  right  side  up  and  give  the  chick  a  chance 
to  get  right  side  up  also.  The  temperature  should  remain  at 
103°  or  a  little  over.  At  pipping  time,  the  temperature  should 
be  104°  or  even  a  half  degree  higher  because  of  the  moisture 
given  off  by  the  chicks  which  always  reduces  the  tempera- 
ture. 

Do  not  open  the  machine  to  see  how  the  chicks  are  hatch- 
ing. Even  if  a  chick  can  be  saved  by  opening  the  shell,  it  is 
better  for  the  novice  to  let  the  machine  remain  closed  till 
after  the  chicks  are  hatched.  Only  hatchable  eggs  can  give 


a  good  hatch.  If  the  machine  is  operated  correctly,  it  will  do 
the  work,  provided  it  is  given  the  right  material  to  work 
with.  Fifty  chicks  from  fifty  eggs  are  possible,  but  the  aver- 
age is  much  below  this.  If  thirteen  fertile  eggs  out  of  fifteen, 
hatch  ten  or  eleven  chicks  on  an  average,  you  are  doing  well. 
This  is  from  70  to  80%  of  all  eggs  incubated.  This,  however, 
is  possible,  and  by  not  aiming  too  high,  you  will  not  be  so 
apt  to  be  disappointed  later  on. 

CLEANING  UP  AFTER  THE  CARPENTERS 

This  matter  should  be  carefully  attended  to  as  a  great 
many  small  nails,  tacks,  etc.,  are  dropped  on  the  floors  and 
in  the  yard  and  if  they  are  not  picked  up  by  the  poultry 
keeper,  the  chicks  will  pick  them  up  for  them.  Upon  exam- 
ining the  gizzards  and  intestines  of  little  chickens  that  die, 
you  will  find  them  pierced  by  small  sharp  nails  and  tacks 
which  naturally  causes  the  death  of  the  fowls. 

WATER  PROOFING  CEMENT  FLOORS 

Mix  one  quart  of  epsom  salts  to  each  barrel  of  water  used 
in  mixing  this  cement,  is  a  good  way  of  water  proofing 
cement.  Also  if  the  floors  have  already  been  laid,  they  may 
be  water  proofed  by  applying  a  good  coat  of  asphalt  paint. 

THE  BUILDING  OF  A  REAL  PROFITABLE  POULTRY 
BUSINESS— HANDLING  THE  CHICKS 

The  time  is  at  hand  when  the  chicks  are  with  us  again  and 
the  work  of  caring  for  them  makes  short  days  for  busy 
people.  One  never  realizes  just  how  much  care  and  work  it 
takes  to  raise  a  lot  of  chicks  and  one  who  actually  has  done 
it,  admits  that  it  is  no  easy  matter.  It  is  a  simple  matter  to 
visit  a  poultry  yard  with  thousands  of  little  chicks  and  the 
host  shows  us  about  with  no  notice  of  the  work  that  is  piling 
up.  You  do  not  notice  the  work  but  only  the  many  chicks 
and  the  smiling  face  of  the  poultry  man.  In  reality,  there  is 
lots  to  do  at  that  very  minute.  Invariably,  work  is  there  and 
when  you  are  gone  he  will  work  with  every  increased  vigor 
till  the  work  is  done. 

The  chicks  should  be  let  rest  for  a  time  after  they  are 
hatched  and  dried  off.  It  is  nature's  way.  She  has  provided 
the  little  chick  with  food  enough  for  four  or  five  days.  It  is 
not  wise  to  wait  till  this  is  gone,  however,  but  food  should 

10 


be  given  after  the  chick  is  from  48  to  72  hours  old,  to  make 
it  strong  and  give  heat  and  vigor.  This  does  not  mean  that 
this  food  should  be  forced  into  the  chicken.  Remember  that 
the  yolk  of  the  egg  is  also  in  the  right  place.  If  the  little 
chick  does  not  care  to  eat,  do  not  force  the  food  down  its 
throat.  Now  there  are  many  ways  of  feeding  little  chicks 
and  I  have  prepared  a  formulae  which  I  have  worked  out 
and  which  you  will  notice  spoken  of  in  this  book.  There  is  no 
one  way  of  feeding  that  is  the  one  and  only  way.  There  are 
many  poultry  men  and  hence  many  ways  of  feeding  little 
chicks,  but  whatever  you  use,  do  not  give  them  too  much  and 
do  not  give  them  food  that  will  sour  in  the  crop.  Do  not  give 
them  any  mash  till  ten  days  to  two  weeks  old  and  then  only 
for  one  hour  a  day,  one  half  hour  at  a  time.  A  little  chick, 
like  a  baby,  should  be  fed  little  and  often.  Make  them  scratch 
for  food  and  the  exercise  will  be  a  benefit  to  them.  In  the 
matter  of  giving  them  greens,  do  not  give  until  six  days 
old  and  then  a  little  of  fine  cut  clover  and  tender  greens. 
Avoid  giving  too  much.  Do  not  feed  lettuce  to  excess 
as  it  makes  them  dopey.  Little  chicks  are  sometimes 
affected  in  this  way.  It  may  not  be  one  particular  trou- 
ble but  a  combination  of  troubles:  Over  feeding  is  one 
thing,  wet  concrete  floors  for  another ;  board  floors  are  much 
better,  as  concrete  floors  are  cold  always.  To  put  them  right 
on  a  hard  floor,  the  results  are  that  they  do  not  get  the 
spring  to  their  legs  when  walking  and  running.  If  you  live 
in  the  country  and  are  used  to  walking  on  anything  but 
cement  and  then  go  to  the  city  and  walk  on  cement  side- 
walks, my  how  your  feet  and  legs  do  hurt.  What  is  the 
trouble?  Just  the  same  as  with  the  baby  chicks.  They  need 
to  be  on  soft  ground  or  where  there  is  some  resiliency.  The 
ideal  way  is  to  have  the  brooder  house  so  that  if  the  weather 
permits,  you  can  let  them  out  on  the  soft  dirt. 

A  little  chick,  until  it  is  eight  weeks  old,  should  be  fed  five 
times  a  day  and  only  what  can  be  cleaned  up  at  a  single  meal. 
No  whole  grains  of  wheat  should  be  given  and  once  a  day  a 
little  good  beef  scrap  should  be  given  so  that  they  will  all 
get  some  of  it.  They  should  have  plenty  of  room  with  good 
ventilation. 

It  is  always  a  good  plan  to  keep  chicks  of  a  size  together 
even  if  of  different  ages.  There  are  always  some  chicks 
ahead  of  the  others.  If  you  have  arrangements  so  that  you 
can  do  it,  it  is  a  splendid  plan  to  keep  these  together  for 
reasons  that  are  present  with  small  chicks  because  the  larger 

11 


ones  peck  the  smaller  ones  and  the  little  fellows  run  away 
and  do  not  eat  and  therefore  their  growth  is  retarded.  The 
little  chicks,  as  they  grow  older,  should  have  just  as  good 
care  as  when  they  are  small.  There  is  a  tendency  with  all  of 
us  to  neglect  growing  birds  after  they  have  passed  the  try- 
ing time  or  danger  point,  but  neglect  means  trouble  and 
plenty  of  it.  The  pullets  should  be  set  for  early  maturity 
and  cockrels  for  market  or  for  selling  stock.  There  should  be 
a  marked  difference  in  feeding  from  an  economic  standpoint. 
Good  care  and  attention  will  bring  results  that  will  be  highly- 
satisfactory  to  the  one  just  beginning  in  the  poultry  busi- 
ness. 

FEEDING  BABY  CHICKS 

A  baby  chick,  like  an  infant,  should  be  fed  little  and  often. 
From  48  to  72  hours  should  elapse  before  a  baby  chick  should 
be  fed,  but  as  soon  as  they  are  placed  in  the  brooder  house, 
fresh  water  with  the  chill  taken  off,  should  be  placed  before 
them.  Also  fine  sand  placed  on  the  floors  is  good  for  them  to 
pick  up.  The  first  feed  should  consist  of  fine  cut  wheat,  steel 
cut  6ats,  and  feed  meal,  placed  on  a  board  and  by  tapping 
with  the  fingers  on  the  board,  the  little  chicks  will  be  taught 
to  eat.  Also  at  this  time,  place  before  them  in  special  foun- 
tains, sour  milk  or  buttermilk  and  also  let  them  have  water 
to  drink.  Feed  them  five  times  a  day  until  they  are  eight 
weeks  old ;  f  our  times  a  day  until  they  are  twelve  weeks  old ; 
then  feed  the  pullets  three  times  a  day  until  they  are  six 
months  old,  a  growing  mash  and  other  feeds  that  will  give 
them  strength  and  promote  their  growth.  The  feed  for  a 
baby  chick  until  it  is  eight  weeks  old  is,  first — the  fine 
ground  wheat,  steel  cut  oats,  and  feed  meal.  Second  feed  of 
the  day — same  as  first  with  rolled  oats,  a  few  handfuls 
rubbed  in  the  hands  and  mixed  with  the  first  feed.  The  rolled 
oats  should  not  be  fed  until  after  the  first  day.  Third  and 
fifth  feeds  are  the  same  as  the  first.  Keep  this  up  for  ten 
days  or  two  weeks  then  you  substitute  for  one  hour  only 
each  day  at  intervals  of  %  hour  a  chick  mash  composed  of 
equal  parts  by  weight  of  ground  hulled  barley,  fish  meal  and 
feed  meal.  This  is  to  take  the  place  of  the  third  feed  each 
day.  Avoid  overfeeding  and  feed  them  only  what  they  will 
clean  up.  Greens  should  not  be  given  until  the  chick  is  six 
days  old,  then  in  small  quantities  at  first,  gradually  giving 
them  more.  Give  tender  greens  and  avoid  too  much  fiber. 
Do  not  feed  crumbly  mash.  Overfeeding  will  cause  leg  weak- 

12 


ness.  One  should  not  begin  feeding  mash  too  early.  However 
fine  bran  and  shorts  may  be  left  before  them  all  the  time 
from  the  very  beginning.  Feed  sour  milk  or  buttermilk  in 
crocks  only  and  not  in  tin  or  galvanized  vessels. 

HATCH  EGGS  FROM  HEAVY  PRODUCING  HENS 

Eggs  for  hatching  should  be  from  heavy  producing  hens. 
Gather  them  several  times  a  day.  Be  sure  that  they  do  not 
get  chilled  or  handled  roughly.  Never  use  a  soiled  egg  or 
one  that  has  been  washed.  Keep  eggs  intended  for  hatching 
in  a  temperature  of  from  50  to  60°  and  in  a  dry  place. 

Experiments  indicate  that  fresh  eggs  produce  much  more 
vigorous  chicks  than  do  the  eggs  that  have  been  kept  for 
some  time  before  being  put  in  the  incubator. 

Feed  your  flock  at  the  same  time  every  day.  Regularity 
produces  best  results. 

PLANT  SUNFLOWERS  AND  GREEN  FEED 

Plant  a  crop  of  sunflowers,  wheat  and  oats  in  a  f enced-in 
portion  of  the  hen  yard.  Protect  these  with  a  wire  fence 
until  the  sunflowers  are  well  up  and  the  hens  cannot  harm 
them.  The  sunflowers  will  provide  excellent  shade  for  the 
hens  during  the  summer,  and  in  the  fall  they  will  enjoy  the 
sunflower  seed.  The  wheat  and  oats  will  be  valuable  green 
food. 

Keep  plenty  of  clean  fresh  drinking  water  in  front  of  the 
chickens  all  of  the  tims.  Change  the  water  several  times  a 
day.  This  tends  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  disease,  and 
increases  egg  production. 

DO  NOT  FEED  BABY  CHICKENS  COARSE  GRIT 

In  the  matter  of  feeding  little  chickens  coarse  grit,  the 
Author  has  observed  that  coarse  grit  has  a  decided  tendency 
to  cut  the  gizzard  which  is  very  tender.  It  is  far  better  to 
feed  very  fine  sifted  or  quick  sand  which  will  not  injure 
them  in  the  least.  The  coarse  grit  may  be  fed  after  the  little 
chickens  are  three  weeks  old. 

TO  ELIMINATE  STICK-TITE  FLEAS  FROM  POULTRY 
HOUSES,  YARDS,  ETC. 

Dissolve  4  Ibs.  of  dairy  salt  in  8  gallons  of  boiling  water. 
When  cooled,  add  one  Ib.  can  of  Red  Seal  Lye.  Apply  with  a 
whitewash  brush  or  spray  pump.  If  you  have  sufficient 

13 


room,  transfer  your  chickens  from  one  yard  to  another  and 
alternately  flood  them  with  water.  Great  care  must  be  taken 
in  using  water  to  see  that  the  houses,  runs  and  yards  dry 
out  sufficiently  before  the  chickens  are  put  into  them. 

A  FORMULA  FOR  THE  FEEDING  OF  BROILERS  FOR 

THE  EARLY  MARKET 

Mixture  No.  1 

One  part  feed  meal. 

One  part  cotton  seed  meal 

One  part  coacoanut  meal 

One  part  rolled  oats. 
After  this  mix  together  the  following : 

One  part  laying  mash. 

One  part  bran. 

One  half  part  of  Mixture  No.  1. 

One  half  part  of  corn  meal. 

Five  percent  beef  scraps. 

Five  percent  charcoal. 

Salt  well,  but  avoid  using  too  much  at  a  time ;  the  idea  is 
to  get  the  chickens  to  eat  and  drink  as  much  as  possible. 

Mix  to  a  crumbly  consistency  and  add  one  part  of  alfalfa 
meal.  Great  care  must  be  used  in  feeding  salt. 

THE  SPECIAL  CULLING  AND  FEEDING  OF  PULLETS 
FOR  EGG  PRODUCTION 

It  is  the  rule  of  many  successful  poultrymen  to  always 
give  pullets  a  chance  their  first  year,  but  after  many  years 
study  and  experience  I  have  found  that  it  really  pays  to  cull 
pullets.  I  would  not  cull  them  until  they  are  about  six 
months  old.  At  that  time  first  pick  out  those  that  are  matur- 
ing the  fastest  and  feed  them  in  the  ordinary  way  that  you 
would  feed  a  pullet  just  beginning  to  lay.  Now  the  seconds 
should  be  placed  in  separate  runs  and  gradually  forced  for 
egg  production.  You  will  find  that  by  doing  this  both  firsts 
and  seconds  will  come  into  their  own  much  quicker  and  you 
will  have  a  flock  of  much  better  hens  than  if  they  were  kept 
together.  Those  pullets  that  you  will  throw  out  entirely 
should  be  weak  or  immature  birds,  crownecks,  runts  and  all 
those  of  low  vitality. 

These  may  be  placed  in  small  runs  and  fattened  for  the 

14 


market.  If  you  wish  to  keep  a  really  high  productive  flock 
of  birds  that  will  produce  for  five  or  six  years,  which  by  the 
way  is  much  cheaper  than  buying  pullets  every  year,  or  even 
raising  them,  be  careful  of  your  feeding  and  the  use  of 
lights.  Keep  the  mites  out  of  the  houses,  the  lice  off  of  their 
bodies,  and  the  worms  put  of  their  bodies.  Be  gentle  with 
them  from  the  very  beginning  and  raise  them  to  be  tame.  It 
is  a  splendid  plan  to  always  make  your  presence  known  when 
passing  from  one  house  or  run  to  another.  Also  strangers 
entering  your  premises  should  be  requested  to  use  great  care 
is  not  frightening  the  birds.  Many  millions  of  eggs  are 
scared  out  of  poultry  flocks  every  year  when  a  little  good 
judgment  in  the  management  and  care  of  poultry  flocks 
would  obviate  this  trouble. 

CHICKS  HATCHED  EARLY  ARE  MOST  PROFITABLE 

Late  hatched  chicks  are  not  so  profitable  as  those  hatched 
early.  Chickens  hatched  in  March  or  the  early  part  of  April 
will  be  laying  in  five  months  or  less,  with  proper  care. 
Whereas  chickens  hatched  one  month  later  will  not  lay  until 
six  and  one-half  or  seven  months  old.  This  means  two 
months  extra  feeding  without  returns. 

Better  layers  and  better  broilers  are  obtained  from  March 
and  early  pullets  as  they  have  more  vitality,  are  more  hardy 
and  are  better  able  to  withstand  the  cold  weather  than  May 
hatched  pullets.  Early  hatched  pullets  make  better  winter 
layers  when  eggs  bring  handsome  profits.  Early  hatched 
broilers  are  worth  more  per  pound  than  from  the  May 
hatched. 

Cull  out  weak  chicks  as  they  are  a  constant  source  of  ex- 
pense and  danger.  They  are  always  the  first  to  become  in- 
fected with  parasites  or  to  contract  diseases  which  may 
spread  to  the  healthier  chicks  in  the  flock.  A  chick  which  is 
decidedly  lacking  in  vigor  should  be  killed.  It  is  of  no  value 
in  itself  and  is  a  constant  menace  to  the  flock.  Be  on  the 
lookout  for  choice  breeding  stock  from  the  time  the  chicks 
are  hatched  and  continue  till  they  are  fully  grown.  When 
certain  chicks  are  noticeably  more  vigorous  and  make  more 
rapid  growth  than  the  remainder,  they  should  be  marked. 
A  satisfactory  way  of  marking  is  with  a  celluloid  band 
around  the  leg  or  a  punch  through  the  web  of  the  foot. 

Chick  mortality  is  especially  high  because  the  little  birds 
frequently  are  not  sufficiently  strong  to  throw  off  disease. 

15 


Drinking  fountains  are  the  most  common  source  for  the 
spread  of  disease.  They  should  be  therefore  sterilized  with 
scalding  water  and  Gold  Dust  Twins  at  least  once  a  day,  pref- 
erably twice  a  day  during  hot  weather.  They  should  be  so 
arranged  that  chicks  cannot  get  their  feet  in  the  water.  Dis- 
eased chicks  should  always  be  destroyed.  White  diarrhoea 
is  the  most  prevalent  disease  among  chicks,  and  can  be  abso- 
lutely eliminated  by  the  white  diarrhoea  remedy  found  else- 
where in  this  book.  It  materially  affects  the  later  profits  and 
must  be  carefully  watched  during  the  first  few  weeks  after 
incubation.  Whenever  chicks  show  symptoms  of  white  diar- 
rhoea, they  should  be  removed,  the  location  of  the  run 
changed,  and  the  drinking  fountains  thoroughly  disinfected. 
It  pays  to  burn  the  dead  bodies  of  any  chicks  that  have  white 
diarrhoea.  Other  diseases  that  should  be  watched  for  are 
gape  worms  and  leg  weakness.  Turn  to  the  medical  section 
in  this  book  and  familiarize  yourself  with  the  best  preventa- 
tive  for  diseases  prevalent  among  baby  chicks.  Do  not  let 
your  baby  chicks  get  chilled.  On  the  other  hand,  do  not 
sweat  them.  Keep  the  heat  uniform,  say  from  about  80  to 
82°  to  start  with,  gradually  cutting  down  the  heat  as  the 
chickens  grow.  Give  them  all  the  free  range  possible  and 
encourage  plenty  of  exercise.  Provide  them  with  plenty  of 
shade.  See  that  there  is  plenty  of  ventilation  but  no  drafts. 
If  the  weather  is  such  that  the  little  chicks  cannot  get  out 
of  doors  on  the  ground  the  first  week,  throw  fresh  earth  in 
one  part  of  the  brooder  room  where  the  chicks  can  get  on  it 
a  part  of  the  day.  Three  weeks  straight  on  a  hard  floor  will 
usually  cause  leg  weakness  to  develop.  Remember  that 
chicks  need  exercise.  If  the  weather  is  dry,  the  little  chicks 
should  be  allowed  to  make  use  of  the  outside  yard  when  they 
are  from  10  to  12  days  old.  Keep  the  yard  small  at  first,  a 
few  feet  square.  Increase  the  range  every  four  or  five  days 
until  the  chicks  are  able  to  find  their  way  from  the  yard  to 
the  hover,  then  allow  them  free  range  during  the  whole  day. 
It  is  a  good  practice  to  make  use  of  a  peculiar  call  or  whistle 
each  time  that  you  feed  the  little  chicks  in  order  that  they 
will  associate  that  call  with  feeding  time  and  this  will  facil- 
itate calling  them  into  the  house. 

Little  chicks  should  be  culled  as  soon  as  the  sex  can  be  de- 
termined. Cockrels  should  be  separated  and  placed  in  separ- 
ate yards  so  that  those  of  about  the  same  age  can  run  to- 
gether. If  any  of  the  cockrels  are  to  be  saved  for  breeding, 
place  leg  bands  on  those  that  mature  rapidly  and  remember 

16 


that  the  first  cockrels  to  crow  are  the  birds  that  will  make 
the  best  breeders.  Discard  any  birds  that  have  crooked  keels 
or  marked  defects.  All  cockrels  that  are  not  set  aside  as  pos- 
sible breeders  should  be  fattened  and  sold  as  soon  as  possible. 
They  should  not  be  given  free  range  but  should  be  kept  in 
relatively  small  yards  where  they  cannot  work  off  their 
weight. 

CAPONIZING 

In  certain  sections  of  the  country  caponizing  is  quite  pop- 
ular. It  is  not  difficult  to  learn  how  to  caponize,  though  in 
sections  where  it  is  common,  poultry  raisers  seldom  do  it 
themselves,  but  employ  a  veterinarian  who  goes  from  ranch 
to  ranch,  making  a  nominal  charge  per  bird.  Any  one  who 
is  interested  in  caponizing  should  send  for  Farmer's  Bulletin 
No.  849,  issued  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture. 

MARKETING 

The  price  for  cockrels  depends  largely  upon  the  dates  they 
are  sent  to  market.  The  quicker  they  can  be  fattened  and 
shipped,  the  higher  price  they  will  bring.  Whether  birds  are 
shipped  alive  or  dressed,  they  should  be  sorted  for  weight 
and  appearance.  Birds  of  the  same  size,  weight,  breed,  and 
color  present  a  much  better  appearance. 

THE  CULLING  OF  PULLETS 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  poultry  profits  is  the 
proper  culling  of  pullets.  They  are  the  future  layers  and 
laying  capacity  depends  to  quite  an  extent  on  natural  vigor. 
It  never  pays  to  keep  and  feed  a  runt.  Separate  all  pullets 
that  do  not  develop  and  feather  out  rapidly.  Poorly  feath- 
ered birds,  those  with  crooked  keels,  dull  eyes,  or  any  de- 
fects, should  be  fattened  and  sold.  Heavy  layers  are  indus- 
trious even  when  young.  The  bird  that  is  quick  to  get  a 
worm  when  one  is  thrown  in  the  yard,  is  the  bird  to  save. 
Slow,  awkward,  listless,  sleepy,  or  ill  shaped  pullets,  should 
be  disposed  of  quickly.  Avoid  crowding.  A  few  carefully 
selected  birds  in  a  house  that  provides  plenty  of  room  will 
yield  larger  returns  than  a  large  number  of  average  pullets. 

To  build  up  a  good  constitution  for  heavy  laying  in  later 
life,  pullets  should  have  free  range  during  the  summer.  If 
they  can  have  the  run  of  a  large  yard  or  an  orchard  where 

17 


there  is  plenty  of  shade  and  abundant  food,  they  will  come 
.into  the  fall  laying  houses  ready  for  business.  Always  keep 
pullets  of  the  same  age  together.  Be  absolutely  sure  that  the 
quarters  are  roomy  so  that  the  birds  are  not  crowded  at 
night.  Encourage  roosting  by  having  plenty  of  roosts  in  a 
well  ventilated  but  not  drafty  house.  Constantly  weed  out 
birds  that  lack  vigor  or  do  not  develop  rapidly.  Clean  houses 
and  clean  yards  are  essential  to  healthy,  quick  development 
of  pullets.  Clean  the  houses  as  often  as  possible.  Keep  the 
inside  of  the  houses  well  disinfected.  Be  sure  to  get  your 
pullets  into  the  laying  houses  early,  before  the  egg  laying 
season  begins.  Otherwise  a  drop  in  the  egg  yield  will  occur 
and  a  fall  molt  will  be  encouraged.  Any  sudden  change  in 
feeding  or  management  is  liable  to  throw  the  birds  into  a 
false  molt  and  seriously  interfere  with  winter  egg  produc- 
tion. 

THE  BEST  RATION  IS  THE  CHEAPEST 

Some  people  still  do  not  realize  that  cheap  feed  is  the  most 
expensive  in  the  end.  The  far  seeing  poultry  raiser  realizes 
that  it  is  results,  not  price,  that  counts.  The  average  farm 
hen  lays  only  72  eggs  per  year  and  in  many  localities  the 
average  is  much  lower.  The  average  commercial  hen  lays 
about  140  to  160  eggs  per  year.  This  is  an  average  and  not 
the  maximum  because  many  hens  eat  more  than  others. 
Seventy  pounds  of  feed  a  year  is  figured  as  an  average  for 
each  hen  or  less  than  three  quarters  of  the  feed  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  body  and  a  hen  consuming  this  amount  should 
lay  more  than  150  eggs  a  year.  A  difference  of  7  eggs  per 
hen  per  year  will  pay  a  difference  of  $10  per  ton  in  the 
price  of  feed.  This  does  not  seem  possible  but  it  is  the  truth. 
At  the  $10  a  ton  difference  in  the  cost  of  feed,  it  costs  only 
35c  more  per  hen  per  year  to  feed  the  best.  At  60c  per  dozen 
or  5c  each,  it  takes  seven  eggs  to  pay  the  difference.  At  48c 
per  dozen,  or  4c  each,  it  takes  only  9  eggs  to  pay  the  differ- 
ence. Even  at  36c  per  dozen,  or  3c  each,  it  takes  only  12 
eggs  per  hen  per  year  or  one  egg  more  per  month  to  pay  the 
difference  of  $10  per  ton  in  the  price  of  feed.  It  is  by  plant- 
ing the  best  seed  that  you  get  the  richest  harvest.  The  far 
seeing  poultry  raiser  uses  only  the  best  rations,  and  reaps 
the  maximum  profits. 

Every  poultry  raiser  is  interested  in  maximum  produc- 
tion at  minimum  cost,  but  very  few  of  them  realize  that 

18 


the  first  cost  does  not  determine  the  value  of  the  feed.  The 
true  measure  of  value  is  the  cost  per  dozen  of  the  eggs  pro- 
duced. 

There  is  more  money  in  chickens  than  ever,  if  they  are 
properly  culled  and  properly  fed.  But  there  is  less  money  in 
them  if  they  are  not  culled  and  not  properly  fed.  After  you 
are  through  with  her,  the  hen  is  now  worth  three  or  four 
times  as  much  for  food  as  formerly. 

SLACKERS  EAT  UP  PROFITS 

It  pays  to  feed  the  bird  that  lays — not  the  slacker.  Non- 
layers  eat  up  the  profits.  Failure  to  weed  them  out  may 
make  your  flock  an  expense  instead  of  a  source  of  income. 
The  success  of  any  flock,  large  or  small,  hinges  upon  getting 
the  most  eggs  at  the  smallest  cost.  The  first  step  is  to  cull 
your  flock.  Every  bird  that  is  not  capable  of  producing 
enough  eggs  to  show  a  profit  over  the  cost  of  its  board  must 
go.  Approximately  forty  per  cent  of  the  hens  can  be  culled 
without  lowering  the  profitable  egg  yield. 

As  a  general  rule,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  recognize  the 
characteristic  features  of  a  laying  hen,  which  enables  you, 
whenever  you  are  selecting  birds  for  the  table  or  market,  to 
eliminate  the  slackers  from  your  flock. 

Fundamental  laws  govern  all  forms  of  animal  life  includ- 
ing poultry.  By  looking  at  certain  lines,  an  experienced 
dairyman  can  pick  out  the  heaviest  milkers  in  the  herd,  and 
an  expert  feeder  can  pick  out  a  good  steer  for  fattening  pur- 
poses. Judging  poultry  is  a  little  more  difficult,  because  the 
feathers  conceal  the  lines  of  the  body. 

There  are  some  general  features  of  the  good  egg  laying 
type  which  may  be  determined  at  a  glance,  such  as  scarlet 
comb  and  wattles  when  laying,  brilliant  eyes,  feet  and  legs 
well  balanced  at  the  end  of  the  laying  year,  crop  full  and  dis- 
tended at  night,  and  toe  nails  usually  short  and  worn  off. 
By  the  following  tests  you  can  systematically  eliminate 
slackers  from  your  flock  and  build  up  your  profits. 

Examine  the  birds  of  your  flock  early  in  the  morning,  be- 
fore they  leave  the  roosts.  By  feeling  the  egg  inside  the 
bird's  body  you  can  determine  whether  she  will  lay  that  day. 
Repeat  this  test  three  or  four  mornings,  and  the  majority 
of  your  best  layers  will  be  discovered. 

Also  keep  a  record  of  your  death  rate  and  everything  else 
pertaining  to  profit  and  loss.  In  order  to  get  an  accurate 

19 


percentage  of  profit,  there  must  be  an  accurate  record  of 
both  receipts  and  expenditures.  This  same  thing  applies  to 
the  operation  of  the  plant  in  ever  particular.  There  are 
many  phases  of  the  work  and  each  should  be  kept  track  of 
if  you  are  to  know  the  details  of  your  work.  If  you  have 
several  pens  of  birds,  you  should  know  how  many  eggs  are 
taken  from  each  pen  daily.  In  this  way  you  will  be  able  to 
tell  at  a  glance  the  most  productive  pen.  If  they  are  all  the 
same  breed,  you  will  be  able  to  pick  out  a  good  breeding  pen 
in  this  way.  Otherwise,  if  now  and  then  you  have  a  pen  that 
is  not  up  to  the  standard,  you  can  dispose  of  them  to  the 
butcher  and  thus  rid  yourself  of  an  unprofitable  lot  of  birds. 
If  you  have  several  breeds,  you  can  in  this  way  make  com- 
parisons in  egg  productions  and  when  you  take  up  your 
records  at  the  end  of  the  month  or  season,  you  can  readily 
tell  which  has  been  the  most  productive  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances. In  this  way  you  might  be  able  to  pick  out  a 
variety  with  which  you  might  do  well.  There  are  some  breeds 
which  seem  to  appeal  more  strongly  to  one's  particular  taste 
and  these  birds  receive  the  best  attention  and  their  wants 
and  needs  are  made  a  standard  by  which  the  needs  of  the 
other  birds  are  measured.  Then,  it  might  be  possible  that 
you  would  want  to  know  the  relative  merits  of  the  various 
pens  of  birds,  but  you  will  want  an  individual  record  of  each 
hen  or  pullet  you  have.  If  you  are  running  a  trap  nest  plant, 
you  will  be  in  a  position  to  do  this  and  by  the  aid  of  a  suitable 
book  for  the  purpose,  there  may  be  kept  a  record  of  each  hen 
which  will  tell  the  story  at  the  end  of  the  month.  In  this  way 
you  can  pick  out  the  pen  of  the  most  productive  birds  and 
mate  them  with  the  best  mate.  From  this  well  mated  pen, 
you  will  probably  obtain  good  results.  A  careful  breeder  will 
also  want  to  keep  accounts  of  the  various  hatches  and  the 
mating  from  which  they  came.  This  will  give  you  much 
valuable  information  at  another  breeding  and  mating  time 
and  you  will  be  in  a  position  to  know  which  birds  you  selected 
for  the  various  matings.  Then  there  are  the  receipts  and 
expenditures  accounts  or  records  which  show  the  actual  cost 
of  operating  the  plant  and  also  the  returns  therefrom.  These 
will  give  you  the  standing  of  the  plant  from  a  financial 
standpoint  as  well  as  from  a  standpoint  to  know  what  you 
are  doing.  With  such  records  ever  before  you,  there  is  but 
little  danger  of  going  astray  in  any  way.  Facts  and  figures 
give  you  the  whole  story  and  you  can  make  your  own  de- 
ductions, for  there  is  but  one  way  to  do  a  thing  and  that  is 

20 


the  right  way,  if  you  expect  to  succeed  as  you  would  like  to 
succeed. 

A  FEW  PRACTICAL  POULTRY  POINTERS  AS  PRAC- 
TICED BY  PROGRESSIVE  POULTRY  PEOPLE 

From  time  to  time  you  have  had  the  science  of  poultry 
feeding  considered,  especially  along  chemical  or  theoretical 
lines.  However,  a  few  hints  on  feeding,  etc.,  may  be  accept- 
able at  this  time.  One  and  all  of  us  who  keep  poultry  must 
follow  certain  well  defined  rules  and  regulations  and  yet  a 
definite  set  of  rules  cannot  be  laid  down  that  will  apply  at  all 
times  and  in  all  climates  and  conditions.  There  are,  however, 
a  few  simple  rules  to  which  we  must  pay  attention  if  we  are 
to  attain  to  any  measure  of  success  in  the  poultry  industry. 
With  the  present  high  cost  of  feed  and  the  growing  compe- 
tition, one  must  use  extra  care  and  systematic  management 
in  order  to  avoid  the  beaten  track  to  disappointment  and 
defeat.  There  are  two  points  of  importance  in  the  successful 
management  of  poultry,  whether  the  flock  be  large  or  small : 
first,  the  necessity  of  procuring  really  good  stock;  second, 
the  careful  management  of  the  fowls.  These  two  essential 
points  are  well  illustrated  by  a  row  boat.  What  would  you 
think  of  a  person  who  started  out  to  row  across  a  river  or 
lake  in  a  row  boat  with  but  one  oar.  He  or  she  would  make  a 
great  many  ciphers  but  very  little  progress.  The  two  oars 
representing  a  good  stock  and  good  management,  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  if  we  are  to  progress  toward  the  goal  of  suc- 
cess and  these  two  will  procure  the  right  kind  of  ciphers, 
that  is  to  say — eggs.  If  your  market  product  is  eggs,  you 
should  feed  egg  producing  food  and  it  will  be  necessary  to 
know  the  elements  contained  in  these.  As  in  feeding  cattle, 
certain  foods  will  produce  more  milk  than  others — so  with 
poultry.  Some  foods  will  prove  not  only  more  economical 
but  will  produce  eggs  both  in  quantity  and  quality  and  will 
be  economy  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  Almost  all  the 
food  used  for  live  stock,  including  poultry,  may  be  classed 
under  two  heads : 

Carbon  Protein 

Elements:  Heat  Elements:  Blood 

Energy  Bone 

Vitality  Flesh  and  Feather 

Fat  producing  ingre- 

dients. 

21 


The  carbonaceous  foods  are  those  that  contain  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  fat  or  starch  element  and  supply  heat,  energy 
and  vitality.  It  follows  that  more  of  this  food  is  needed  in 
the  winter  than  in  the  summer,  especially  in  the  colder  cli- 
mates. Nature  itself  has  made  provision  for  this  to  some 
extent  as  the  yellow  corn  of  the  north  is  much  more  carbon- 
aceous than  the  white  corn  of  the  south.  I  mention  corn  be- 
cause it  contains  a  large  percentage  of  carbon  or  starch.  A 
good  substitute  for  corn  would  be  buckwheat  and  fat  meat 
and  this  change  or  variety  would  be  much  relished  by  your 
birds.  The  nitrogeneous  foods  commonly  referred  to  as 
those  containing  protein,  are  the  foods  that  go  to  provide 
nourishment  for  the  growth  of  the  fowl's  body,  making 
blood,  bone,  flesh,  muscle,  sinew,  and  feathers.  If  you  feed 
nothing  but  corn,  your  stock  will  become  fat  and  lazy  and 
very  few  eggs  will  be  procured  but  with  properly  balanced 
ration,  feeding  the  right  proportion  of  carbon  and  protein 
and  a  variety  of  different  foods,  the  stock  will  be  maintained 
in  a  good  healthy  condition  and  the  result  will  be  a  good  full 
egg  basket.  The  accompanying  table  gives  an  analysis  of  the 
various  foods  commonly  used  for  poultry : 

Gross  Contents    Composition  of  dry  matter  in 

Percentages  %  of  the  whole 

Dry  Carbo 

Foods                                   Water  Matter  Fiber  Ash  Protein  hydrate    Fat 

Field  Corn  10.9  89.1  1.9  1.5  10.4  70.3  5.0 

Cracked   Corn   12.3  87.7  ....  1.3  8.6  73.9  3.9 

Corn  Meal  15.0  85.0  1.9  1.4  9.2  68.7  3.8 

Gluten  Meal  9.6  90.4  1.6  0.7  29.4  52.4  6.3 

Wheat    10.5  89.5  1.8  1.8  11.9  71.9  2.1 

Wheat  Screenings  11.6  88.4  4.9  2.9  12.5  65.1  3.0 

Wheat  Bran  11.9  88.9  0.9  5.8  15.4  53.9  4.0 

Wheat  Middlings  12.1  87.9  4.6  3.3  15.6  60.4  4.0 

Dry  Bread  31.2  68.8  6.9  44.2  0.5 

Oats    11.0  89.0  9.5  3.0  11.8  59.7  5.0 

Oat  Meal   7.9  92.1  0.9  2.0  14.7  67.4  7.1 

Oat  Bran  7.7  92.3  19.3  3.7  7.1  57.9  2.3 

Oat  Middlings  9.2  90.8  3.8  3.2  20.0  56.2  7.6 

Barley    10.9  89.1  2.7  2.4  12.4  69.8  1.8 

Buckwheat  12.6  87.4  8.7  2.0  10.0  64.5  2.2 

Middlings 13.2  86.8  4.1  4.8  28.9  41.9  7.1 

Bran 14.0  86.0  14.1  3.4  17.1  46.4  4.4 

Rye     11.6  88.4  1.7  1.9  10.6  72.5  1.7 

Rye  Bran  11.6  88.4  3.5  3.6  14.7  63.8  2.8 

Millet   13.5  86.5  9.5  3.0  12.7  58.0  3.3 

Flax  Seed  11.8  88.2  7.9  3.4  21.7  19.6  35.6 

Linseed  Meal — new 10.1  89.9  9.5  5.8  33.2  38.4  3.0 

Cotton  Seed  Meal 8.2  91.8  5.6  7.2  42.3  23.6  13.1 

Sunflower   Seeds   8.0  92.0  28.5  3.0  13.0  23.9  23.6 

Rice    12.4  87.6  1.2  1.4  7.4  79.2  0.4 

22 


Red   Clover   15.3  84.7  24.8  6.2  12.3  38.1  3.3 

White  Clover  9.7  90.3  24.1  8.3  15.7  38.3  2.9 

Alfalfa   8.4  91.6  25.0  7.4  14.3  42.7  2.2 

Green  Grass  Clippings....76.4  23.6  4.1  2.4  2.3  13.8  1.0 

Cabbage  90.5  9.5  1.5  1.4  2.4  3.9  0.4 

Lettuce    95.9  4.1  0.5  0.8  1.0  1.0  0.2 

Spinach    92.4  7.6  0.7  1.9  2.1  2.4  0.5 

Peas  13.4  86.8  6.4  2.4  22.4  52.6  3.0 

White  Field  Beans 15.0  85.0  3.2  3.1  20.4  56.7  1.6 

Tomatoes  91.3  8.7  0.7  0.7  1.0  5.8  0.5 

Apples    84.1  15.9  0.9  0.2  0.2  14.3  0.3 

Cucumbers  96.0  4.0  0.7  0.5  0.8  1.8  0.2 

White  Ptatoes  78.9  21.1  0.6  1.0  2.1  17.3  0.1 

Red   Beets 88.5  11.5  0.9  1.0  1.5  8.0  0.1 

Mangel   Wurzels 90.9  9.1  0.9  1.1  1.4  5.5  0.2 

Turnips    90.5  9.5  1.2  0.8  1.1  6.2  0.2 

Carrots  88.6  11.4  1.3  1.0  1.1  7.6  0.4 

Onions    87.6  12.4  0.7  0.6  1.4  9.4  0.3 

Peanuts,    Hulled 10.9  89.1  3.1  3.8  31.5  46.9  3.8 

Whole  Milk  87.2  12.8  3.5  4.8  3.7 

Skim   Milk,   Separated.... 9 0.6  9.4  2.9  5.2  0.3 

Buttermilk  90.1  9.9  3.9  4.0  1.0 

Beef  Scrap  1.3  98.7  ....  8.0  58.0  ....  32.9 

Pork   Scrap    0.8  99.2  ....  2.2  57.4  ....  39.6 

Dried  Blood  6.7  93.3  ....  6.6  65.1  5.3  16.3 

Green   Beans 6.9  93.1  ....  24.5  22.3  ....  16.3 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  corn  contains  one  part  protein 
to  twelve  parts  of  carbon,  thus  it  is  known  as  a  wide  ration 
having  a  large  amount  of  heat  and  fat  producing  qualities 
with  only  one  twelfth  of  the  blood,  bone,  flesh,  and  muscle 
producing  element.  The  other  extreme  is  to  be  found  in 
albumen  which  contains  seven  and  six-tenths  percent  of  pro- 
tein to  one  of  carbon.  This  is  what  is  known  as  a  narrow 
ration.  A  one  sided  diet,  as  it  were,  containing  a  large  per- 
centage of  protein  with  very  little  carbon  or  heat  and  life 
producing  qualities.  The  happy  medium  known  as  the  bal- 
anced ration,  would  be  about  one  part  protein  to  five  parts 
carbon.  This  is  about  the  composition  of  oats,  showing  the 
great  value  of  it  as  a  food  for  the  laying  hen,  but  hens,  like 
mankind,  must  have  a  variety  of  food  to  produce  the  best  re- 
sults. Then  the  different  breeds  must  be  considered.  It 
would  not  do  to  feed  a  race  horse  as  you  would  feed  a  work 
horse.  The  Leghorns  and  Minprcas  are  parallels  of  the  race 
horse  of  the  poultry  world,  being  more  active  and  requiring 
more  carbon  than  the  Asiatic  and  American  breed  such  as 
the  Orpintons,  Plymouth  Rocks,  Langshangs,  Rhode  Island 
Reds,  Brahmas,  and  Wyandottes.  We  must  take  into  account 
also  the  conditions  in  which  the  flocks  are  kept.  The  birds 
confined  to  small  runs  will  require  much  less  feed  than  a 

23 


flock  on  large  runs  and  the  food  must  be  prepared  so  as  to 
be  more  easily  digested  and  assimilated.  To  feed  a  laying 
hen  corn  in  midsummer  would  be  like  a  person  wearing  an 
overcoat  on  a  July  day,  but  the  corn  may  be  allowed  in  cold 
weather  and  an  extra  allowance  in  extremely  cold  weather. 
In  zero  weather  the  fowls  may  be  allowed  all  the  corn  they 
can  eat  for  their  evening  meal.  To  produce  eggs,  however, 
in  abundance,  in  cold  weather  you  must  not  deny  the  hens 
their  share  of  protein.  Also  if  you  will  look  over  the  list  of 
foods,  you  will  be  able  to  pick  out  the  necessary  variety.  It 
will  be  necessary  for  health  as  well  as  egg  production  to 
supply  alfalfa,  barley,  clover,  and  sudan  grass,  or  better  still 
sprouted  pats,  as  they  contain  considerable  nitrogen  in  liquid 
form,  aiding  digestion  and  exercising  the  digestive  organs  as 
well  as  purifying  the  blood.  You  will  note  the  great  value  of 
beets  as  a  variety  in  winter  to  aid  in  the  digestion  of  the 
more  concentrated  foods.  To  give  corn  alone,  even  in  the 
coldest  weather,  would  produce  a  case  of  indigestion.  The 
green  foods  and  vegetables  must  be  combined  with  the  corn 
so  as  to  give  the  necessary  bulk  and  a  sufficient  amount  of 
nitrogen.  Also  plenty  of  fresh  water  must  be  given  for  food 
results.  In  extremely  cold  weather,  the  chill  should  be  taken 
off  the  water.  Another  important  point  is  the  supply  of  lime, 
a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  essential  for  the  produc- 
tion of  eggs  as  well  as  for  the  production  of  bone  and  feath- 
ers in  the  growing  stock.  Lime  is  found  in  large  quantities 
in  cut  clover,  alfalfa,  and  wheat  bran,  there  being  a  suffi- 
ciency of  lime  to  form  the  shell,  also  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  white  of  an  egg.  Therefore  cut  clover  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  of  foods  for  the  laying  hen  as  well  as  for  the 
growing  stock.  To  those  people  living  in  sections  where  it  is 
difficult  to  obtain  meat  scraps  and  bone,  I  would  suggest  as 
a  good  substitute,  that  you  keep  a  rabbitry.  Either  rabbits  or 
hares  will  provide  clean  meat  and  soft  bone  for  your  stock 
and  one  hare  per  day  will  supply  a  large  flock  with  the  neces- 
sary supply.  This  will  also  be  inexpensive  as  your  hares  will 
consume  almost  any  kind  of  food,  even  weeds,  and  convert 
same  into  tender  healthy  meat  for  your  birds.  By  stewing 
the  meat  and  using  the  liquid  to  mix  up  your  mash,  grinding 
the  bones  and  feeding  the  meat  to  your  flock  at  the  rate  of 
one  pound  to  twenty  hens  a  day,  you  will  have  an  inexpens- 
ive, wholesome,  egg  producing,  muscle  making,  and  shell 
forming  material.  The  same  may  be  given  to  the  growing 
stock  in  quantities,  varying  according  to  their  ages,  with  de- 

24 


cided  benefit.  This  would  also  prove  to  be  better  than  green 
cut  bone  because  it  is  rich  in  protein  and  not  so  likely  to 
cause  worms  and  intestinal  trouble.  Feed  small  grains  in 
straw  litter  and  keep  the  hens  scratching  for  a  living.  In  the 
morning,  throw  in  the  litter  equal  parts  of  cracked  corn, 
wheat,  whole  barley,  oats,  and  milo.  Use  extra  corn  at  night 
in  cold  weather.  At  noon  feed  green  food  and  vegetables. 
Have  before  them  a  constant  supply  of  oyster  shell,  grit,  and 
charcoal.  Carefulness  and  good  judgment  in  feeding  will  in- 
sure good  health  and  an  abundant  supply  of  eggs  all  the  year 
round.  Provision  should  always  be  made  for  scratch  pens 
inside  the  house  so  that  the  hard  grain  may  be  buried  out  of 
sight.  The  fowls  will  get  more  exercise  and  scratching  and 
the  litter  will  keep  their  feet  and  legs  in  good  condition. 
When  thus  treated,  there  will  never  be  any  trouble  with  leg 
weakness.  Oft  times  we  hear  numerous  complaints  about 
hens  not  laying  in  the  winter.  Especially  is  this  true  in 
colder  climates.  Some  people  seem  to  think  that  because 
their  hens  are  thoroughbreds  they  should  lay  no  matter  un- 
der what  conditions  they  are  kept.  Some  think  that  because 
they  purchased  their  hens  or  eggs  from  a  breeder  that  ad- 
vertised "bred  to  lay"  or  a  winter  laying  strain,  and  paid  an 
enormous  sum  for  same,  that  they  should  lay  in  winter  re- 
gardless of  conditions.  Well,  how  about  feeding  for  winter 
eggs?  A  great  many  people  pick  out  the  easiest  way  and 
stick  by  it  and  swear  by  it.  It  runs  something  like  this :  light 
feed  of  whole  oats  in  the  litter  and  dry  mash,  hopper  open 
all  day.  Scratch  feed  at  night.  Clean  water.  Shell  and  grit 
before  them  at  all  times.  Very  easy !  I  feed  fresh  cut  green 
bones,  all  they  will  eat,  not  twice  a  week  but  every  day,  pro- 
vided, however,  that  you  are  not  raising  rabbits  for  this 
purpose  as  spoken  of  before.  At  2  o'clock,  steamed  or  sprout- 
ed oats  and  there  is  nothing  that  they  like  any  better.  At  4 
o'clock  give  the  scratch  feed  spoken  of  before,  what  they  will 
clean  up  in  20  minutes.  This  plan  of  feeding  gives  plenty  of 
eggs,  healthy  hens,  strong  chicks,  and  is  not  overly  ex- 
pensive. I  am  more  than  liberal  with  good  clean  straw — oat 
if  obtainable,  for  the  litter.  Houses  opened  up  well  on  the 
south  side  curtained  with  burlap  to  hold  out  the  storms  is 
good  and  also  the  dropping  boards  should  be  kept  well  cov- 
ered with  sifted  ashes  or  lime  and  Lice  Powder.  I  believe 
one  of  the  best  methods  of  obtaining  winter  eggs  is  to  make 
all  food  as  appetizing  as  possible,  as  I  believe  the  more  food 
consumed,  the  more  eggs  will  you  get.  The  profit  on  poultry 

25 


depends  on  the  breeder.  Some  people  condemn  a  breed  that 
others  have  won  success  with.  It  requires  a  long  time  for 
the  apprentice  to  become  skilled.  It  requires  four  years  to 
become  an  efficient  army  officer  and  it  requires  a  great  many 
years  to  become  skilled  in  any  profession.  Still,  men  and 
women  invest  their  cash  in  the  poultry  business,  build  fine 
poultry  houses,  buy  several  large  incubators  and  brooders, 
and  all  the  latest  appliances  that  absolutely  guarantee  to 
give  satisfaction  or  money  refunded.  Then  the  selfsame 
person  must  hire  help  to  do  laborous  work  and  hire  a  man- 
ager to  look  after  the  help.  Now  just  imagine  the  position 
the  proprietor  is  in  if  he  does  not  know  whether  the  help  or 
the  manager  are  doing  as  they  should  do.  Still  his  money  is 
invested.  If  you  are  not  ambitious  and  willing  to  work  hard 
early  and  late,  Sundays  and  holidays,  if  you  are  not  careful 
and  patient  and  painstaking,  and  willing  to  sit  tight  and  wait 
for  returns,  willing  to  take  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  business 
and  be  cheerful,  then  for  goodness  sake  stay  out  of  the  poul- 
try business.  Go  in  if  you  will,  if  you  think  you  possess  the 
necessary  qualifications,  and  go  in  at  the  bottom  and  grow 
up  with  the  business.  Otherwise  you  had  better  let  it  alone. 
If  you  find  that  your  method  of  feeding  is  not  productive 
of  good  results,  try  some  other  way.  Often  a  change  of  food 
helps  the  appetite  and  starts  the  bird  in  a  way  for  egg  pro- 
duction, but  should  you  change  the  mash  or  manner  of  feed- 
ing, work  gradually  out  of  one  into  the  other.  It  certainly 
is  the  only  thing  to  do,  but  many  poultry  keepers  wonder 
why  their  birds  do  not  lay  and  yet  keep  on  with  the  same 
old  system  of  feeding,  care,  etc.  To  the  beginner — we  hear 
so  much  about  protein  and  nitrogeneous  food  that  we  should 
not  attempt  to  feed  exclusively  of  foods  containing  a  high 
percentage  of  these  things  as  such  a  diet  will  result  in  bowel 
trouble  and  a  dirtorted  system.  A  balanced  ration  should 
contain  both  the  carbonaceous  and  nitrogeneous  matter. 
Many  amateur  poultry  keepers  are  anxious  the  same  as  a 
commercial  egg  keeper  to  get  eggs  during  the  late  fall  and 
early  winter  so  as  to  catch  the  high  prices  paid  for  them  at 
that  time.  They  wonder  why  they  cannot  get  eggs  in  quan- 
tities during  these  months.  Now  this  is  the  way  it  is  done : 
Get  the  chicks  hatched  out  in  March  or  the  fore  part  of 
April,  thereby  avoiding  the  neck  and  tail  molt  which  the 
chicks  hatched  in  January  and  February  are  very  apt  to 
have.  They  should  be  cared  for  as  well  as  you  know  how  and 
pullets  forced  for  development  and  maturity  but  not  too 

26 


fast.  If  they  begin  laying  earlier  than  six  months  old,  switch 
them  from  one  pen  to  another  and  avoid  feeding  a  high  pro- 
tein food  until  they  are  ready  to  lay.  Then  they  will  begin 
to  lay  during  October  and  November,  in  time  to  catch  the 
best  prices  paid  for  eggs,  although  some  poultry  people  pre- 
fer to  let  them  lay  as  soon  as  they  will. 

While  a  good  layer  will  not  get  overly  fat,  yet  if  constantly 
fed  fat  foods,  there  is  that  possibility.  It  is  better  not  to  go 
to  the  extreme  in  under  or  over  feeding.  A  happy  medium 
is  the  thing  and  when  you  have  reached  this  you  may  feel 
that  you  have  come  to  the  economic  as  well  as  the  satisfac- 
tory feeding  basis.  There  is  one  thing  certain  and  true  with 
poultry  keeping  and  that  is  that  if  people  are  to  attain  suc- 
cess they  must  give  their  poultry  proper  care  and  attention. 
There  is  always  quick  response  to  proper  feeding  and  good 
care  and  vice  versa  to  poor  feeding  and  care.  You  may  have 
a  fine  flock  of  young  stock,  doing  fine  and  growing  rapidly, 
and  if  you  let  up  on  the  good  care  you  have  been  giving  them, 
you  will  soon  find  out  that  they  will  very  shortly  begin  look- 
ing very  poorly.  It  is  within  the  power  of  every  poultry 
keeper  to  have  his  birds  in  A-l  condition  at  all  times. 

It  is  well  to  be  remembered  that  there  are  certain  things 
necssary  for  the  making  of  eggs.  It  is  up  to  us  to  furnish 
this  raw  material  and  the  trusting  hen  will  do  the  rest.  How- 
ever, she  cannot  furnish  the  supply  of  egg  making  material 
when  shut  up  in  a  poultry  house.  For  the  formation  of  the 
shell  she  will  need  lime.  This  can  be  supplied  by  having 
oyster  shell  forever  before  her.  For  the  white  or  albumen, 
she  will  need  the  protein  found  in  oats,  wheat,  barley,  and 
alfalfa.  For  the  yolk,  she  will  want  some  fat  such  as  corn, 
buckwheat,  etc.  These  things  having  been  furnished,  the 
hen  will  turn  out  the  egg  as  well  as  though  she  were  out 
where  she  could  pick  them  up  herself. 

The  fertile  egg  problem  is  one  that  confronts  the  breeder. 
Strict  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  males  in  each  pen  to 
see  that  they  are  active  and  are  in  a  good  state  of  health. 
If  you  are  not  feeding  some  green  food,  you  are  making  a 
great  mistake  as  this  helps  to  produce  fertile  eggs.  Espec- 
ially should  lots  of  sprouted  oats  be  fed  as  this  is  the  most 
excellent  green  food  and  productive  of  fertile  eggs.  Do  not 
allow  the  sprouts  to  grow  too  long  but  feed  when  it  is  about 
an  inch  or  so  high,  then  you  will  get  all  the  good  in  the  root, 
the  oat,  and  the  green  shoot.  To  build  up  a  good  strain  of 
poultry,  you  must  begin  by  breeding  from  healthy  fowls.  A 

27 


fowl  that  has  ever  been  sick  should  not  be  used  for  breeding 
purposes.  Sickness  not  only  shows  a  weak  constitution  but 
indicates  one  that  never  will  be  back  to  its  normal  condition. 
So  by  breeding  year  after  year  from  good  healthy  stock, 
you  will  build  up  a  strain  of  birds  that  will  be  able  to  throw 
off  disease  even  when  in  its  presence.  A  hardy  vigorous  bird 
is  one  of  the  best  means  of  success  that  you  could  possibly 
have.  Be  careful  not  to  mate  up  too  many  hens  with  the 
male  bird  if  you  wish  the  highest  percentage  of  fertility. 
Ten  hens  with  a  male  bird  are  enough  for  the  heavier  breed 
while  twice  that  number  may  be  used  with  the  lighter 
breeds.  It  is  not  always  the  feeding  that  causes  unfertility 
but  lack  of  good  judgment  in  mating.  Carefully  look  your 
pens  over  and  note  whether  or  not  certain  males  are  vigorous 
and  active  and  then  note  the  number  of  birds  in  each  pen.  A 
large  vigorous  male  will  be  all  right  with  a  dozen  or  so  birds 
where  one  less  vigorous  would  do  with  only  two  or  three 
hens.  If  you  wish  to  obtain  more  pullets  from  your  hatching 
eggs  than  males,  increase  the  number  of  breeding  hens  per 
male  and  vice  versa.  Avoid  always  in  breeding  from  pullets. 
Nothing  but  a  mature  hen  should  be  used  in  breeding  pens. 
I  would  not  advise  breeding  to  a  hen  under  18  months  old, 
using  cockrels  never  under  10  months  old ;  a  year  is  better. 
The  older  a  male  bird,  the  less  vigorous  he  becomes  and  nat- 
urally should  be  placed  with  the  less  number  of  hens.  The 
longer  one  is  in  the  poultry  business  and  engaged  in  mating 
and  breeding,  the  more  he  or  she  will  find  how  much  there 
is  to  the  work.  There  are  depths  of  which  you  never  dreamed. 
To  the  outsider  who  thinks  poultry  work  is  a  small  occupa- 
tion, has  but  little  conception  of  what  the  work  is  and  never 
stops  to  realize  how  much  thinking  and  planning  the  poultry- 
man  has  to  do  in  order  to  accomplish  results.  Many  people 
expect  too  great  things  from  hatching  eggs.  If  they  have 
paid  a  moderate  price,  they  cannot  expect  to  get  all  show 
birds  from  the  eggs,  even  if  you  are  to  get  the  best  eggs 
possible,  laid  by  show  birds  of  national  reputation,  you  will 
find  some  of  the  chicks  hatched  from  the  eggs  to  be  culls. 
They  cannot  throw  show  birds  from  every  egg  laid.  On  a 
large  poultry  plant  the  trained  eye  of  the  fancier  can  note 
the  poor  ones  and  they  become  broilers  at  a  very  early  age. 
While  it  is  not  always  possible  to  tell  the  best  at  an  early 
age,  yet  glaring  defects  can  be  noticed  easily.  During  the 
breeding  time  of  the  year,  a  medium  course  in  the  feeding  of 
breeding  stock  insures  the  best  possible  results.  A  male  or 

28 


female  over  fat  is  not  in  the  condition  for  breeding.  This 
same  fact  has  been  reiterated  time  and  again — hundreds  of 
times,  and  yet  we  find  many  breeders  ignoring  it.  We  see 
their  hens  loaded  with  fat  until  they  almost  drag  on  the 
ground.  The  consequent  result  is  complaints  of  weak  chicks 
or  eggs  failing  to  hatch.  There  are  various  other  causes  to 
account  for  this,  but  even  with  physical  and  organic  perfec- 
tions as  a  natural  inheritance  of  the  fowl,  the  accumulation 
of  fat  in  the  male  and  female  is  beyond  doubt  antagonistic 
to  good  breeding.  In  the  management  of  fowl  stock,  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  have  both  the  males  and  females  of 
every  breeding  pen  neither  too  lean  nor  too  fat,  neither 
starved  nor  stuffed,  but  a  happy  medium,  or  in  other  words, 
a  fine  condition  is  to  be  secured.  A  condition  that  will  not 
interfere  with  the  sprightliness  and  habitual  movements  and 
exercise  of  the  birds.  A  condition  that  approximates  the 
natural  one  which  will  leave  the  bird  free  from  any  organic 
impediment  through  fat.  It  should  be  of  the  character  and 
condition  of  the  athlete.  In  other  words,  it  should  be  actively 
personified  without  any  lack  of  sustaining  power.  Therefore 
see  to  your  breeding  stock.  If  you  find  certain  ones  lacking 
in  flesh,  get  such  birds  all  in  one  yard  to  themselves  if  possi- 
ble and  put  the  feed  to  them  stronger.  Those  that  seem  too 
fat  and  heavy  should  be  collected  and  their  rations  cut  down 
for  them.  If  a  male  should  fail  to  have  enough  flesh  for 
vigor,  nail  a  can  to  the  wall  of  the  house  high  enough  so  that 
the  hen  cannot  reach  it  to  eat.  Keep  feed  in  this  at  all 
times  so  that  he  may  be  able  to  go  to  it  and  eat  whether  it  is 
feeding  time  or  not.  In  this  manner  you  may  be  able  to  keep 
him  up  in  flesh  with  the  rest  of  the  flock.  A  little  good  man- 
agement on  your  part  will  help  to  keep  all  the  stock  in  the 
best  of  producing  condition.  A  smooth  plumage  is  a  pretty 
good  indication  of  good  health  of  the  bird.  The  one  with 
rough  plumage  is  very  apt  to  have  some  trouble.  When  lice 
and  mites  are  at  work  you  will  find  the  feathers  sticking  out 
all  over  the  bird.  Especially  at  the  head  will  you  find  lice 
when  the  short  feathers  stick  up.  Look  the  birds  over  very 
carefully  and  you  will  undoubtedly  discover  them.  This  may 
best  be  accomplished  by  placing  the  forefinger  of  the  left 
hand  on  the  back  of  the  chicken,  fingers  pointing  toward  the 
head,  three  fingers  under  the  left  wing,  the  thumb  under  the 
right  wing.  Stand  with  your  back  toward  the  sun,  letting 
the  light  come  over  your  left  shoulder.  Now  with  the  right 
index  finger,  hold  against  the  feathers,  gently  turning  them 

29 


back  one  by  one.  This  method  can  be  used  on  any  part  of 
the  hen's  body  where  lice  may  be  found.  Keep  a  watchful 
eye  on  the  plumage  of  your  bird.  This  with  the  comb  gives 
one  an  opportunity  to  get  at  the  cause  of  the  trouble  before 
the  birds  are  really  down  and  out. 

Speaking  of  soft  shell  eggs — Soft  shelled  eggs  are  not 
always  an  indication  that  you  are  not  giving  enough  oyster 
shell  and  lime  to  make  shell,  but  that  the  birds  are  fed  too 
much  fattening  foods.  They  are  over  fat  and  are  being 
forced  for  egg  production.  The  result  is  that  the  eggs  come 
before  there  is  time  to  cover  them  with  the  lime  or  shell.  Do 
not  allow  the  birds  to  get  too  fat.  With  some  breeds  this  is 
practically  impossible,  but  with  some  of  the  heavier  breeds 
it  is  likely  to  occur  where  rich  fattening  foods  are  given. 

If  you  use  ordinary  store  boxes  for  shipping  fowls,  be  ab- 
solutely sure  that  there  are  no  nails  driven  through  the 
boxes  at  the  bottom.  Many  times  these  escape  unnoticed, 
with  the  result  that  some  of  the  birds  are  cut  by  the  sharp 
points.  Care  should  be  taken  in  tacking  shipping  cards  on 
the  coops  and  boxes  containing  birds  either  for  fancy  pur- 
poses or  for  market.  Do  not  drive  the  tacks  through  hold- 
ing the  card  to  the  boards  so  the  combs  might  get  a  severe 
cut  which  would  make  much  trouble. 

Ordinarily  a  hen  outlives  her  productive  period  in  three 
years,  and  you  are  a  gainer  by  sending  her  to  market,  though 
I  know  of  flocks  from  three  to  five  years  old  that  have  been 
carefully  culled  month  after  month,  that  are  still  producing. 
I  know  of  one  hen,  a  cross  breed  between  a  brown  leghorn 
and  barred  rock,  that  produced  120  eggs  in  her  eleventh  year 
and  she  is  still  going.  It  is  a  whole  lot  more  costly  to  replace 
hens  than  it  is  to  keep  them  over.  Of  course  this  only  applies 
to  laying  hens.  Cull  at  all  times  and  do  not  keep  slackers, 
loafers,  and  non-producers  in  your  flock.  It  is  generally  sup- 
posed that  with  each  successive  year,  the  number  of  eggs 
laid  by  a  hen  is  lessened,  but  a  good  deal  depends  on  the  way 
the  flock  is  managed.  If  you  permit  your  pullets  to  begin 
laying  at  four  and  four  and  one-half  months  old  and  feed 
them  high  protein  foods  in  too  large  quantities  and  put  the 
electric  lights  on  them  in  the  winter  time  at  3  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  you'll  surely  blow  them  up.  Now  and  then  there  is 
a  phenomenal  hen  that  will  be  productive  for  several  years, 
but  as  a  rule  four  years  is  about  the  limit,  although  as  I  have 
said  before,  there  are  many  exceptions  and  these  hens  make 
excellent  breeders. 

30 


To  prevent  the  males  tearing  put  the  feathers  on  the  backs 
of  the  females  during  the  breeding  season  is  quite  a  problem 
where  there  are  but  few  females  with  the  males.  I  suggest, 
as  the  best  plan,  to  have  one  male  serve  several  pens  of  birds, 
taking  them  out  at  night  and  placing  them  in  a  different  pen. 
Even  if  he  is  in  each  pen  every  third  day,  it  will  be  sufficient 
where  there  are  but  few  birds  in  a  pen. 

In  the  selection  of  breeding  pens,  the  proper  basis  upon 
which  to  work  in  building  up  your  poultry  business  is  that 
of  selecting  your  breeders.  If  you  will  but  breed  year  after 
year  from  the  best  of  your  birds  and  from  the  most  perfect 
specimens,  you  will  soon  have  a  strain  that  can  be  depended 
upon  for  breeding  true  to  color,  shape,  size,  etc.  It  is  well 
known  that  all  the  chicks  that  are  hatched  will  not  come  up 
to  the  standard,  but  it  is  also  well  known  that  pure  bred 
birds  carefully  selected  and  mated  will  bring  a  large  percent 
of  good  specimens.  There  will  be  fewer  culls  when  great  care 
is  taken  in  the  selection  of  the  breeders.  When  the  breeding 
season  is  approaching,  it  is  well  for  everyone,  especially  be- 
ginners, to  be  mating  up  their  breeding  pens.  Do  not  wait 
too  long  to  do  this  but  have  them  in  shape  early.  Get  them 
acquainted  with  one  another  and  there  will  be  but  little  fight- 
ing among  them  when  you  want  the  eggs  for  hatching  pur- 
poses. If  you  have  a  Standard  of  Perfection  (which  by  the 
way  you  should  have) ,  look  up  and  read  very  carefully  what 
it  calls  for  in  birds  of  your  breed  and  variety.  Note  the  dis- 
qualifications and  requirements,  then  you  can  look  your 
breeding  birds  over  with  some  degree  of  intelligence.  You 
can  tell  the  disqualified  specimens  and  these  can  be  discarded 
at  once  without  further  consideration.  Those  that  are  left 
can  then  be  considered  for  their  good  qualities.  Here  and 
there  you  may  find  one  that  measured  up  pretty  well  to  the 
standard.  These  you  should  put  at  once  into  the  breeding 
pen  then  by  strict  process  of  elimination  you  can  pick  out 
the  best  of  the  flock  to  go  with  them.  These  birds  will  con- 
stitute the  best  pen  that  you  have.  If  you  have  enough  birds 
in  this  pen  to  supply  your  needs  during  the  hatching  season 
you  will  not  have  to  pick  put  a  second  breeding  pen.  Person- 
ally I  do  not  like  seconds  in  the  breeding  pen.  I  would  either 
have  the  best  in  the  flock  or  none  at  all.  I  would  much  rather 
raise  but  a  few  birds  from  a  selected  pen  of  breeders  than  to 
raise  a  lot  from  several  inferior  pens  of  birds.  Now  you  will 
want  a  male  bird  to  go  with  them.  If  you  have  an  old  cock 
bird  of  known  value,  you  can  mate  him  with  these  females 

31 


that  you. have  selected.  If  you  do  not,  and  want  to  use  a 
young  cockerel,  see  to  it  that  it  is  an  early  hatched  one,  if 
you  are  going  to  attempt  any  winter  incubating,  otherwise 
it  will  make  no  difference.  Select  a  vigorous  bird  of  the  type 
which  you  wish  to  breed  and  one  that  will  conform  to  your 
requirements.  I  say  to  your  requirements  because  many 
times  there  will  be  male  birds  that  to  others  might  not  seem 
good  enough  but  if  you  are  a  good  breeder  you  can  some- 
times select  better  birds  than  if  you  went  by  any  set  of  rules. 
I  recall  one  particularly  beautiful  male  bird  of  a  variety  that 
I  was  interested  in  that  did  not  in  my  estimation  come  up  to 
the  standard  and  yet  was  a  handsome  bird  and  called  forth 
exclamations  of  admiration  from  everyone  who  saw  him. 
Now  I  wouldn't  have  had  him  for  a  gift  to  head  a  pen  of 
breeders  for  me.  I  want  to  breed  true  to  type  and  all  that, 
but  I  have  my  own  ideas  as  to  what  constitutes  a  good  bird. 
The  male  bird  should  be  selected  after  much  care  and  delib- 
eration. Select  the  type  that  has  good  lung  capacity,  that 
does  not  stand  up  too  straight  and  one  that  possesses  vim, 
vigor,  and  vitality.  After  you  have  made  your  selections  of 
the  females  and  the  male  that  will  form  your  breeding  pen, 
you  will  want  to  decide  upon  a  location  for  them  in  your 
poultry  house.  If  you  use  the  old  style  continuous  house, 
give  the  breeding  pen  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  house. 
Possibly  a  place  near  the  entrance  would  be  most  suitable. 
If  the  door  opens  direct  upon  the  birds,  I  would  not  advise 
placing  them  in  the  first  apartment  but  in  the  next  one. 
There  might  be  a  possibility  of  a  draft  upon  them,  especially 
if  you  are  going  in  and  coming  out  frequently.  Sometimes  it 
is  advisable  to  use  the  first  apartment  for  a  place  for  feed, 
etc.  This  will  give  you  a  convenient  place  for  these  necessary- 
things  and  it  will  not  give  the  cold  air  a  chance  to  blow  in 
on  your  birds.  If  you  use  the  smaller  houses,  such  as  the 
colony  houses,  select  one  or  two  that  will  be  sheltered  from 
the  wind  as  much  as  possible,  and  that  will  be  convenient  for 
frequent  attention.  These  birds  should  be  housed  in  as  good 
a  place  as  you  have  for  them.  They  should  receive  the  best 
of  attention,  for  from  these  birds  you  are  to  get  the  eggs  for 
hatching  out  your  next  season's  chicks.  You  want  to  do  all 
in  your  power  to  make  these  birds  happy  and  contented  for 
the  unhappy  birds  never  lay  an  egg  and  you  want  a  goodly 
supply  of  eggs  from  these  selected  breeders.  Give  them  all 
the  various  foods  you  can,  not  excepting  green  food.  If  you 
are  in  a  position  to  sprout  oats,  do  it  and  you  will  be  well 

32 


repaid  for  your  trouble,  for  this  makes  for  fertile  eggs. 
Selection  and  good  care  will  make  a  productive  breeding  pen. 
Remember  you  cannot  get  something  out  of  nothing,  so  it 
pays  to  look  carefully  to  the  breeders,  for  this  is  the  founda- 
tion of  your  flock. 

Does  it  pay  to  doctor  the  sick  fowls?  This  is  a  question 
that  is  often  asked — whether  or  not  it  is  profitable  to  doctor 
sick  fowls.  It  all  depends  upon  the  birds  and  what  their  con- 
dition is.  If  I  possessed  a  very  valuable  bird  that  was  sick,  I 
should  endeavor  to  bring  it  out  of  the  condition.  While  it  is 
true  that  such  a  bird  should  not  be  used  to  breed  from,  yet  it 
would  remain  a  very  valuable  show  bird  and  if  it  entirely 
recovers  will  be  still  good  for  that  purpose.   On  the  other 
hand  if  I  saw  an  approaching  cold  or  some  disorder  just 
creeping  in,  I  would  make  a  big  effort  to  stop  the  trouble  be- 
fore it  progressed  any  further.    Of  course  when  a  bird  is 
very  sick  with  some  communicable  disease,  the  best  thing  to 
do  is  to  kill  and  burn  it.  To  the  poultry  keeper  who  is  watch- 
ful and  careful  of  his  birds,  it  is  no  task  to  perceive  the  ap- 
proaching trouble.   If  now  and  then  you  hear  a  bird  sneeze 
or  rattle  a  little  in  the  throat,  you  may  make  up  your  mind 
that  there  is  a  cold  there  alright.  If  you  can  lay  your  hands 
on  the  bird,  give  it  a  two  grain  quinine  pill  and  put  it  by 
itself  until  cured.  If  you  will  give  such  a  pill  for  three  nights 
in  succession  and  then  give  a  dose  of  castor  oil — about  two 
teaspoonsf ul,  you  will  stop  the  trouble  undoubtedly.  During 
the  colder  weather,  the  birds  are  very  apt  to  suffer  from 
colds,  more  or  less,  and  we  sometimes  wonder  where  they 
catch  them.    We  wonder  the  same  thing  about  ourselves, 
and  the  bird  does  not  try  to  take  care  of  its  health  like  we 
do.  A  little  draft  of  air  here  or  there  will  do  the  trick  in  a 
short  time.   It  is  well  to  look  over  the  poultry  house  thor- 
oughly and  see  if  there  are  any  such  places.   Prevention  is 
about  the  best  way  of  doctoring  the  bird  if  I  may  call  it  that. 
If  one  is  careful  about  the  litter  to  see  that  it  is  kept  dry 
and  clean,  it  will  mean  much.  It  is,  however,  a  good  plan  to 
have  some  of  the  various  remedies  on  hand  so  that  in  case 
you  have  some  particular  trouble  among  your  birds,  you  can 
give  them  something  at  once.    I  visited  a  place  one  time 
where  they  never  kept  a  thing  in  the  line  of  home  medicines 
in  the  house  and  they  were  miles  from  a  town  where  they 
could  get  such  things  if  they  needed  them.  When  you  need 
a  simple  remedy,  you  need  it  badly  and  it  is  the  same  way 
with  your  birds.   If  they  get  sick,  they  need  the  medicine 

33 


right  away.  Be  prepared  for  emergencies  by  haying  various 
remedies  on  hand.  Preparedness  and  prevention  are  two 
pretty  good  words  to  go  by  in  the  poultry  business. 

THE  INCLOSED  SYSTEM  VERSUS  THE  OPEN  YARD 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  hens  kept  by  the  enclosed 
system  will  lay  more  eggs  and  consume  less  food  than  those 
kept  in  open  yards.  But  it  must  be  understood  that  if  one  is 
raising  hens  for  breeding  stock,  that  to  obtain  vim,  vigor, 
and  vitality  and  produce  good  layers,  the  open  yard  system 
must  be  used.  If  the  enclosed  system  is  used  for  breeding 
stock,  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  good,  strong,  healthy,  vigor- 
ous birds  where  the  enclosed  system  is  used.  Another  thing 
that  should  not  be  done  to  breeding  hens  is  to  ever  put  the 
lights  on  them,  because  there  is  no  doubt  about  it  but  that 
the  lights  do  lower  a  hen's  vitality  inasmuch  as  she  is  com- 
pelled to  lay  more  eggs  than  she  would  otherwise,  in  the 
same  length  of  time.  The  more  exercise  and  free  range  that 
a  breeding  hen  has,  the  stronger,  healthier  and  better  chick- 
ens she  will  produce.  Also  the  same  is  true  of  the  cock  birds. 
Furnish  your  breeding  pens  with  good  dirt  wallows,  keep 
them  free  from  mites,  lice,  and  intestinal  worms,  and  feed 
them  the  very  best  balanced  ration  obtainable  and  keep  them 
working  all  the  time,  and  in  doing  this  one  will  obtain  more 
hatchable  eggs  than  in  any  other  method  that  you  might 
pursue.  Never  breed  from  anything  but  mature  hens  and 
vigorous  cock  birds  if  you  expect  to  succeed  in  the  breeding 
game. 

In  addition  to  the  enclosed  system,  a  sun  parlor,  dusting 
place,  and  catching  pen  may  be  added  by  constructing  in  the 
rear  of  the  house  a  small  enclosure  about  four  feet  wide  and 
thirty  inches  high,  made  from  %  by  3  inch  material,  covered 
with  wire  netting,  one  half  of  frame  being  put  on  hinges. 
The  chickens  may  be  admitted  to  this  inclosure  by  a  small 
door  operated  from  the  front  of  the  house  by  the  use  of  a 
cord  and  pulley  arrangement.  This  will  also  be  found  con- 
venient for  use  while  cleaning  the  dropping  boards,  floors, 
and  doing  other  work  that  one  finds  necessary  to  be  done  in- 
side the  house.  This  may  be  done  without  interfering  or 
frightening  the  chickens. 


34 


A  FEW  THINGS  ONE  SHOULD  KNOW 

It  is  the  care  of  the  poultry  that  pays.  You  cannot  raise 
chickens  and  lice  together  any  more  than  you  can  raise  a 
garden  and  chickens  together.  A  hen  cannot  successfully 
combat  lice  and  at  the  same  time  lay  the  maximum  amount 
of  eggs.  If  we  human  beings  had  one  louse  on  us,  it  would 
be  one  too  many  and  it  is  the  same  with  poultry  and  there 
is  no  more  fundamental  reason  why  poultry  should  have  lice 
any  more  than  a  human  being,  and  if  our  hens  make  for  us 
a  living  or  bring  us  in  profits,  it  is  at  least  up  to  us  to  give 
them  a  decent  night's  sleep.  Another  thing  is,  if  we  as 
human  being  were  subjected  to  the  same  treatment  we  deal 
out  to  our  poultry  flocks,  there  wouldn't  be  much  enthusiasm 
when  it  came  to  working  or  making  a  living  for  our  family. 

THE  GLEANING  OF  THE  EGGS 

If  you  are  running  a  commercial  egg  farm  or  breeding 
fancy  stock,  the  eggs  should  be  gathered  at  least  twice  daily 
for  this  reason :  all  eggs  laid  before  one  o'clock  in  the  day  are 
laid  by  strong,  healthy  and  industrious  hens  and  are  always 
of  the  most  uniform  size  and  shape,  free  from  defective 
shells,  etc.,  whereas  the  eggs  laid  after  one  o'clock  in  the 
day  for  the  most  part  are  small,  ill  shapen,  and  soft  shelled. 
You  will  find  that  you  will  save  at  least  one  half  the  time 
and  labor  expended  in  sorting  the  eggs  and  that  the  eggs 
may  be  freer  from  dirt  and  other  causes  that  go  to  contami- 
nate an  egg.  Also  if  you  have  any  egg  eaters  in  your  flock, 
they  have  less  chance  to  pursue  their  nefarious  practice. 
Taking  it  all  in  all,  a  great  many  dollars  will  be  saved  in  the 
course  of  a  few  months  if  you  practice  this  method  of  pick- 
ing up  the  eggs.  Time  and  labor  are  the  essence  of  all  things. 
Then  why  throw  your  time  away  and  labor  also  in  this  case 
when  these  may  be  saved  by  pursuing  the  wise  course  in 
this  particular  line  of  business  in  the  matter  of  sorting,  etc. 
The  eggs  picked  up  before  one  o'clock  in  the  day  are  always 
better  for  hatching  as  well  as  for  market  value. 

IF  A  CHICKEN 

If  a  chicken  has  cholera,  the  first  symptom  is  a  yellowish 
coloration  on  that  part  of  the  excrement  which  is  secreted 
by  the  kidneys  and  which  in  health  is  nearly  or  perfectly 
white.  Soon  there  is  diarrhoea,  the  droppings  consisting  of 

35 


the  whitish  or  yellowish  secretions  of  the  kidneys,  mixed 
with  considerable  mucus  and  a  small  quantity  of  intestinal 
contents  which  may  have  a  yellowish,  brownish,  or  greenish 
color.  There  is  considerable  fever,  and  soon  after  the  bird  is 
attacked,  it  loses  its  lively  appearance,  separates  itself  from 
the  flock,  appears  dull,  dejected,  and  sleepy.  It  no  longer 
searches  for  food,  but  sits  with  the  head  drawn  down  to  the 
body  or  turned  backward  and  resting  about  the  feathers  in 
the  wing.  The  plumage  soon  loses  its  brilliance,  the  wings 
droop,  the  appetite  is  diminished,  and  the  thirst  increased; 
the  comb  and  wattles  may  be  dark  bluish  red  from  engorge- 
ment with  poorly  oxiginated  blood,  or  they  may  be  pale  and 
bloodless  on  account  of  the  congestion  of  the  internal  organs, 
especially  the  liver.  The  affected  birds  soon  become  very 
weak,  drowsy,  and  often  sleep  so  soundly  during  the  last  day 
or  two  of  their  lives  that  it  is  difficult  to  rouse  them.  If  made 
to  move,  they  stagger  forward  for  a  few  steps  only  and  in 
an  uncertain  manner  and  with  dragging  wings.  The  crop  is 
usually  distended  with  food  and  apparently  paralyzed,  and 
feathers  about  the  vent  are  soiled  and  sometimes  pasted  to- 
gether with  excrement.  As  death  approaches  the  weight  and 
the  strength  of  the  bird  rapidly  diminish,  it  breathes  with 
difficulty,  sits  with  beak  open,  and  the  breathing  may  be 
heard  at  some  distance.  Finally  the  weakness  is  such  that 
the  beak  is  rested  upon  the  ground  and  a  little  later  the  bird 
falls  over  on  one  side,  makes  a  few  convulsive  movements, 
and  dies. 

In  the  very  acute  cases,  no  symptoms  are  seen;  the  bird 
may  be  found  dead  under  the  roosts,  or  they  may  fall  at  the 
feed  trough  and  die  in  a  few  minutes.  The  cholera-like  dis- 
ease often  occurs  in  a  chronic  form  which  may  follow  an 
acute  attack  of  the  disease  or  may  be  chronic  from  the  first. 
This  form  is  characterized  by  a  continually  increasing  weak- 
ness, loss  of  weight,  and,  finally,  an  exhaustive  diarrhoea. 
Sometimes  one  or  more  joints  of  the  wings  or  feet  swell,  the 
birds  become  very  lame,  and  later  the  swellings  break  and 
discharge  a  creamy  or  cheesy  mass  which  contains  large 
numbers  of  germs. 

These  diseases  may  destroy  the  greater  part  of  a  flock  in 
a  week  and  then  disappear,  or  they  may  linger  for  months, 
only  occasionally  killing  a  bird.  The  time  between  exposure 
to  the  contagion  and  the  appearance  of  symptoms  is  from  2 
to  5  days,  and  the  duration  of  the  disease  is  from  24  to  10 
days. 

36 


The  most  characteristic  changes  seen  after  death  are  red 
spots  on  the  surface  of  the  heart,  which  gives  it  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  sprinkled  with  blood,  congestion  and 
enlargement  of  the  liver,  and  swelling  of  the  spleen. 

If  a  chicken  has  apoplexy,  a  disease  of  the  brain  caused  by 
the  rupture  of  one  of  the  blood  vessels,  the  bird  is  attacked 
suddenly  and  falls  down,  apparently  dead  or  nearly  so.  The 
usual  cause  is  too  high  feeding,  but  it  may  also  be  due  to 
some  other  provocation,  such  as  sudden  fright,  violent  exer- 
tion, or  straining  in  laying  eggs.  Fowls  are  sometimes  found 
dead  on  the  nest  or  under  the  perches.  There  is  usually  no 
previous  warning,  and  so  in  most  cases  treatment  is  impossi- 
ble, as  the  bird  usually  dies  almost  immediately.  When,  how- 
ever, the  sufferer  is  still  alive,  pierce  a  vein  on  the  underside 
of  the  wing  and  let  it  bleed  freely.  This  will  reduce  the  pres- 
sure on  the  brain  and  often  result  in  a  cure.  The  bird  should 
then  be  kept  on  a  limited  diet  for  some  time  in  order  to  re- 
duce the  surplus  fat.  As  preventative  measures,  regulate  the 
diet  and  give  plenty  of  exercise. 

If  a  chicken  has  vertigo,  which  is  a  disease  of  the  brain 
and  may  be  regarded  as  a  minor  kind  of  apoplexy,  the  bird 
shows  giddiness,  throwing  its  head  upward,  backward,  or  to 
one  side.  The  gait  is  uncertain  and  staggering,  the  sufferer 
often  running  around  in  a  circle.  Sometimes  the  bird  falls  to 
the  ground,  fluttering  and  making  convulsive  movements 
with  the  legs .  The  bird  can  often  be  revived  by  holding  its 
head  under  a  stream  of  cold  water.  After  this  keep  the  bird 
in  a  cool  and  shady  place  for  some  time  and  regulate  the  diet. 
If  a  chicken  has  bronchitis,  a  cold  accompanied  by  a  rattle 
in  the  throat  or  by  a  cough,  and  may  be  caused  by  exposure 
to  dampness  or  cold  temperature  or  by  drafts  of  air,  the  re- 
moval of  the  cause  and  good  care  will  result  in  a  cure.  In- 
halation of  steam  or  vapor  from  boiling  water  has  been 
found  beneficial.  Giving  a  teaspoonf ul  of  equal  parts  of  cider 
vinegar  and  water  has  proven  succssf  ul  in  some  cases. 

If  a  chicken  has  contagious  catarrh  or  roup,  the  first 
symptoms  of  this  disease  are  similar  to  those  of  simple 
catarrh,  but  as  the  disease  advances  there  is  often  swelling 
of  the  sides  of  the  head  and  the  nostrils  become  closed  with 
thick  mucus,  causing  the  bird  to  breathe  through  the  mouth. 
If  the  swellings  contain  pus,  they  should  be  opened  with  a 
sharp  instrument,  the  contents  removed,  and  the  wound 
treated  with  a  mild  antiseptic,  such  as  2%  solution  of  car- 
bolic acid.  The  application  of  kerosene  mixed  with  an  equal 

37 


part  of  olive  oil  has  given  good  results  in  many  cases.  When 
a  fowl  has  a  bad  case  of  roup,  it  is  usually  better  to  kill  it, 
unless  especially  valuable. 

If  a  chicken  has  pip,  which  is  a  condition  of  the  tongue 
caused  by  some  such  ailment  as  a  cold,  which  compels  the 
bird  to  breathe  through  the  mouth,  the  continual  passing  of 
air  over  the  tongue  causes  it  to  become  dry,  hard,  and  scaly, 
especially  about  the  tip.  The  best  remedy  is  to  remove  the 
cause,  also  wet  the  tongue  two  or  three  times  a  day  with  a 
mixture  of  glycerine  and  water,  equal  parts. 

If  a  chicken  has  bumble  foot,  which  is  caused  by  bruises 
on  the  bottom  of  the  foot,  and  is  often  due  to  the  f owl's  hav- 
ing to  fly  from  rather  high  perches  and  alighting  on  hard 
and  uneven  surfaces,  remove  the  cause  by  lowering  the 
perches.  Remove  the  corn  and  paint  with  iodine  but  if  the 
foot  is  swollen  and  the  swelling  is  filled  with  pus,  it  should 
be  lanced  and  the  pus  permitted  to  escape.  The  wound 
should  then  be  washed  out  with  a  2%  carbolic-acid  solution 
or  Pearson's  Creolin  and  wrapped  with  a  piece  of  cloth. 

If  a  chicken  is  egg-bound,  which  is  an  irritation  of  the 
oviduct,  causing  the  membrane  to  become  dry  and  deficient 
in  its  normal  lubrication,  an  abnormally  large  egg,  or  a  too 
fat  condition  of  the  hen  may  cause  difficulty  in  expelling  an 
egg  from  the  body  and  produce  the  condition  known  as  egg- 
bound.  If  the  egg  remains  in  the  oviduct  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time  inflammation  is  produced,  which  finally  de- 
velops into  decomposition  of  the  tissues  and  results  in  death. 
Fowls  when  egg  bound  are  restless,  going  frequently  on  the 
nest,  showing  a  desire  to  lay,  and  in  general,  giving  evidence 
of  being  in  distress.  Later  they  become  dull  and  listless,  re- 
maining in  this  condition  until  death,  if  not  relieved.  The 
egg  can  usually  be  felt  in  the  posterior  portion  of  the 
abdomen.  If  the  trouble  is  early  discovered,  inject  a  small 
quantity  of  oil  into  the  vent,  and  gently  try  to  work  the 
egg  out.  If  this  treatment  is  unsuccessful,  hold  the  lower 
part  of  the  body  in  warm  water  for  half  an  hour,  or  until  the 
parts  are  relaxed ;  then  treat  as  above.  It  may  be  necessary 
to  break  the  egg,  allow  the  contents  to  escape,  and  remove 
the  shell  in  pieces.  After  removal  of  the  egg,  give  soft  cool- 
ing feed. 

Occasionally  difficulty  in  laying  an  egg  causes  prolapsus 
or  eversion  of  the  oviduct.  When  this  occurs  the  oviduct  is 
partially  turned  inside  out  and  protrudes  from  the  vent.  If 
the  egg  causing  the  trouble  has  not  been  expelled,  remove  it, 

38 


wash  the  exposed  portion  of  the  oviduct  with  warm  water, 
apply  carbolated  vaseline  or  lard,  and  return  to  its  normal 
position  by  gentle  pressure.  In  addition,  it  is  well  to  give  the 
fowl  3  to  5  drops  of  fluid  extract  of  ergot. 

If  a  chicken  has  chicken  pox,  which  is  invariably  accom- 
panied by  diptheritic  roup  and  canker,  the  first  symptoms 
are :  a  watery  eye  and  an  eruption  appears  as  round,  oblong, 
or  irregularly  shaped  nodules  from  the  size  of  a  pinhead  to 
that  of  a  pea  or  a  hazelnut.  They  are  seen  especially  about 
the  beak  and  nostrils  and  on  the  comb,  the  eyelids,  the  wat- 
tles, and  the  ear  lobes.  In  some  individuals,  and  particularly 
in  pigeons,  the  eruption  is  more  generalized  and  is  found  on 
the  skin  of  other  parts  of  the  body,  as  the  neck,  under  the 
wings,  on  the  rump,  and  about  the  vent.  Here  the  nodules 
may  become  larger  than  on  the  head. 

The  nodules  begin  as  small  red  or  reddish-gray  deposits 
with  a  shiny  surface,  and  gradually  enlarge,  while  the  color 
changes  to  a  yellowish,  brownish,  or  dark  brown,  and  the 
surface  dries  and  becomes  shriveled,  uneven,  and  warty  in 
appearance.  Owing  to  the  number  of  nodules  and  the  ex- 
tension of  the  inflammation,  large  patches  of  skin  become 
thickened  and  covered  with  hard,  dry  crusts,  closing  the 
nasal  openings  or  the  eyelids  and  making  it  difficult  even  to 
open  the  beak. 

In  the  milder  cases  the  eruption  is  limited  to  the  head,  the 
nodules  are  distinct  and  small,  and  the  general  health  of  the 
affected  bird  does  not  suffer.  The  nodules  soon  dry,  heal,  and 
shrink ;  the  crusts  become  loosened  and  fall  off,  and  there  is 
rapid  recovery.  In  the  more  malignant  cases  the  eruption  is 
generalized  over  the  surface  of  the  body,  the  nodules  are 
larger,  and  there  is  a  diffuse  inflammation  and  thickening  of 
large  areas  of  skin.  If  the  crusts  are  rubbed  or  scratched  off 
by  the  fowls,  there  occurs  from  the  ulcerous  surface  a  dis- 
charge at  first  watery,  but  later  thick,  yellowish  and  viscid, 
which  soils  the  feathers  and,  if  abundant,  gives  off  a  disa- 
greeable odor.  This  type  of  the  disease  is  accompanied  with 
fever,  rapid  loss  of  flesh,  and  prostration,  and  frequently 
causes  the  death  of  the  victim.  In  the  most  malignant  cases 
the  eruption  extends  to  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  eyes, 
nostrils,  and  mouth,  causing  a  diphtheritic  inflammation 
that  is  generally  fatal. 

If  a  chicken  goes  light,  it  may  be  caused  from  any  one  of 
the  following:  mites,  lice,  intestinal  worms,  tuberculosis,  or 
cholera. 

39 


If  a  chicken  has  tuberculosis  the  symptoms  are:  lack  of 
life,  emaciation  with  indications  of  indigestion,  but  there  is 
in  tuberculosis  a  decided  rise  in  temperature  and,  during  the 
last  stages,  violent  diarrhoea.  It  is  not  possible  to  outline  the 
symptoms  so  surely  you  can  absolutely  rely  upon  them  in 
diagnosing  the  disease.  It  is  a  germ  disease,  and  a  bacteriol- 
ogist only  could  give  a  definite  opinion  after  examination, 
but  this  is  not  possible  or  practical  for  many  poultrymen. 
A  post  mortem  examination  will  usually  reveal  tubercules 
and  nodules  throughout  the  liver  and  covering  many  of  the 
internal  membranes.  When,  however,  you  find  any  of  the 
fowls  "going  light,"  as  it  is  called,  that  are  showing  rapid 
and  extreme  emaciation,  with  the  above  symptoms,  take  no 
chances,  but  kill  them  at  once. 

If  a  chicken  has  gapes,  the  first  symptoms  are  a  slight 
cough;  then,  as  the  irritation  becomes  more  acute,  and  the 
worms  grow  larger,  it  causes  the  gaping  which  gives  the 
disease  its  name.  This  is  usually  accompanied  by  more  or 
less  sneezing,  difficulty  in  swallowing,  breathing,  etc.  Inas- 
much as  the  symptoms  of  this  disease  are  very  much  like 
those  of  bronchitis  and  pneumonia,  you  should  be  absolutely 
certain  of  the  presence  of  gapes  before  starting  to  treat  the 
fowls.  This  is  best  learned  by  examining  the  dead  birds. 
After  opening  the  windpipe  with  a  sharp  knife,  cutting 
lengthwise,  examine  its  lining  and  see  if  you  can  detect  any 
worms  there.  A  magnifying  glass  will  be  found  helpful.  In 
little  chicks,  the  diagnosis  is  not  usually  difficult,  as  the  con- 
stant gaping  is  almost  a  sure  indication,  but  older  fowls  may 
gape  because  of  some  obstruction  or  from  various  other 
causes.  Besides  this,  in  pneumonia  or  bronchitis  there  is  a 
rise  in  temperature,  which  is  not  true  of  gapes  in  its  earlier 
stages. 

If  a  chicken  is  crop-bound,  the  first  symptom  is  a  loss  of 
appetite  or  an  effort  of  the  bird  to  swallow  without  being 
able  to  do  so.  The  crop  is  seen  to  be  very  large  and  much 
distended  with  contents  which  are  more  or  less  firmly  packed 
together.  If  permitted  to  continue,  the  condition  becomes 
aggrevated,  the  breathing  difficult,  and  death  may  result. 

The  contents  of  the  crop  may  sometimes  be  removed  by 
forcing  the  bird  to  swallow  a  teaspoonful  or  more  of  sweet 
oil,  then  massaging  the  lower  part  of  the  gullet  if  it  con- 
tains food,  or,  if  not,  the  part  of  the  crop  nearest  to  the 
gullet,  until  a  part  of  the  contents  are  softened  and  may  be 
pressed  toward  the  head.  This  is  made  easier  by  holding  the 

40 


bird  head  downward.  By  continued  manipulation  the  greater 
part  of  the  material  may  be  removed.  The  bird  should  not  be 
permitted  to  eat  for  several  hours  after  it  is  relieved. 

If  a  chicken  has  limber-neck,  which  in  reality  is  not  a 
disease,  but  is  a  symptom  of  several  diseases  which  are  char- 
acterized by  a  paralysis  of  the  muscles  of  the  neck,  which 
makes  it  impossible  for  the  bird  to  raise  its  head  from  the 
ground.  This  condition  is  due  to  the  absorption  of  poisons 
from  the  intestines,  which  act  upon  the  nervous  system  and 
cause  paralysis.  It  is  generally  associated  with  indigestion 
or  the  eating  of  moldy  grain  or  putrid  meat  or  with  intes- 
tinal worms.  What  this  disease  really  is,  is  ptomaine  pois- 
oning. 

The  best  treatment  is  to  give  a  full  dose  of  purgative  med- 
icine— that  is,  50  or  60  grains  of  Epsom  salts  or  3  or  4  tea- 
spoonsful  of  castor  oil  for  a  grown  fowl.  Often  the  birds 
will  be  cured  within  24  hours.  In  case  they  are  not  better 
within  3  or  4  days  it  is  not  advisable  to  keep  them. 

If  a  chicken  has  coccidiosis  the  symptoms  are:  dullness, 
weakness,  sleepiness,  diarrhoea,  and  loss  of  weight,  although 
the  birds  retain  their  appetites  for  a  considerable  time.  In 
many  cases  the  symptoms  are  diarrhoea,  with  loss  of  weight, 
and  after  a  time  apparent  recovery,  though  germs  con- 
tinue to  multiply  in  the  intestines  and  to  be  spread  with  the 
droppings  for  several  months  afterwards.  Fowls  affected  in 
this  manner  may  die  suddenly  without  previously  showing 
any  serious  symptoms.  Young  chicks  frequently  void  bloody 
droppings,  and  the  bowel  contents  are  bloody. 

Adult  fowls  have  considerable  powers  of  resistance  to  this 
parasite,  and  the  disease  with  them  is  more  frequently  seen 
in  a  chronic  form. 

If  a  chicken  has  blackhead,  which  disease  is  more  fre- 
quently found  in  young  turkeys,  commonly  called  poults 
which  are  from  2  weeks  to  3  or  4  months  old,  in  the  more 
acute  cases  turkeys  usually  die  in  about  two  or  three  weeks, 
but  generally  the  progress  of  the  disease  is  slower  and  they 
live  a  longer  time. 

If  a  chicken  has  gout  usually  the  joints  of  the  feet  are 
most  frequently  affected,  although  the  wing  joints  may  also 
be  involved.  At  first  the  joints  are  swollen  and  painful. 
Later  the  lesions  form  into  nodular,  tumor-like  growths 
which  vary  in  size  and  may  be  either  hard  or  fluctuating. 
Frequently  the  swellings  burst,  discharging  a  yellowish,  tur- 
bid material  containing  urates.  The  bird  avoids  walking  as 

41 


much  as  possible  and  remains  in  a  sitting  position.  The  gen- 
eral health  becomes  affected,  and  emaciation  gradually 
occurs,  with  weakness  and  frequently  diarrhoea. 

When  great  numbers  in  the  flock  develop  symptoms,  the 
diet  should  be  taken  care  of  and  corrected  if  necessary. 
Often  a  reduction  in  the  quantity  of  meat  scrap  and  an  in- 
crease in  the  green  feed  will  prevent  further  cases.  The 
entire  flock  should  receive  a  dose  of  Epsom  salts,  one-third 
teaspopnful  to  each  adult  bird:  3%  Epsom  salts  fed  in  dry 
mash  is  better. 

If  a  chicken  has  worms,  it  is  indicated  by  coral  red  drop- 

Eings,  the  chicken  becomes  weak,  and  usually  goes  light, 
ixty  percent  of  chickens  usually  have  worms  after  they  are 
ten  weeks  old,  and  the  worst  destruction  to  the  flock  gener- 
ally comes  between  this  age  and  one  year  old. 

COCCIDIOSIS  IN  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

When  the  disease  first  makes  its  appearance,  take  the 
mash  away  from  them  for  two  days.  Feed  sour  or  semi- 
solid  buttermilk  in  large  quantities  until  noon  of  each  day, 
then  let  them  have  water  to  drink  as  usual.  Also  feed  fine 
charcoal  so  as  to  color  the  droppings  dark  to  prevent  the 
chickens  from  eating  same.  Keep  plenty  of  litter  on  floors 
so  that  droppings  will  be  hidden  from  sight.  Disinfect  runs, 
etc.,  well.  Wash  drinking  crocks  in  Gold  Dust  Twins  and  hot 
water  at  least  once  a  day:  or  disinfect  them  with  lysol.  If 
the  disease  shows  no  sign  of  abating  at  the  end  of  two  days, 
then  begin  the  use  of  Zinc  Sulpho  Carbolate  (Zinc  Phenol 
Sulphonate) — one  level  teaspoonful  to  each  gallon  of  drink- 
ing water,  but  do  not  use  the  sour  milk  or  semi-solid  butter- 
milk at  the  same  time  that  the  Zinc  Sulpho  Carbolate  is  used, 
using  this  three  days  on  and  three  days  off  until  the  disease 
is  cured. 

Coccidiosis,  like  many  other  diseases,  in  a  way  is  pre- 
ventable, though  some  authorities  maintain  that  it  may  be 
and  is  transmitted  from  the  parent  stock.  It  is  a  wonderful 
plan  to  avoid  over-heating  of  the  little  chicks,  also  over- 
feeding. The  disease  usually  puts  in  an  appearance  after  the 
little  chicks  are  three  weeks  old  and  is  indicated  by  bloody 
droppings  and  the  chickens  become  listless  and  drop  their 
wings.  Unless  the  disease  is  checked  in  its  early  stages,  it  is 
apt  fo  wipe  out  almost  the  entire  flock. 

Avoid  feeding  Red  Dog  flour  or  any  chick  mash  containing 

42 


it,  as  it  is  a  great  many  times  responsible  for  the  starting 
of  bowel  trouble. 

CROUP  IN  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

This  may  sound  odd  or  "phunny"  to  say  that  chickens 
have  croup,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true.  I  have  met  with  a 
great  many  cases  in  poultry  flocks  that  I  would  call  croup 
and  I  treated  several  birds  so  affected  by  mixing  one  part  of 
peroxide  of  hydrogen  to  two  parts  of  water,  giving  them  a 
teaspponf  ul  and  the  next  morning  they  were  alright.  It  does 
the  bird  no  harm  whatever  and  no  one  needs  to  be  afraid  to 
use  it  on  valuable  birds.  I  thought  that  this  would  be  worth 
telling  to  the  poultry  public.  I  have  never  had  a  case  similar 
in  birds  of  my  own  raising.  There  were  no  drafts  in  these 
poultry  houses  and  I  don't  know  where  the  birds  got  it,  but 
they  had  it  just  the  same.  I  examined  them  for  roup  but  it 
was  not  roup.  The  birds  simply  began  to  cough  and  gasp  as 
a  child  would  choke  with  the  croup,  so  I'll  say  it  was  croup 
and  if  your  chickens  are  ever  affected  in  this  manner,  try 
this  remedy  and  I'm  sure  you  will  be  surprised  to  see  how 
quickly  they  will  be  cured. 

THE  MAKING  AND  KEEPING  OF  POULTRY  RECORDS 

The  most  successful  poultry  plants  in  operation  today  are 
those  whose  managers  have  an  accurate  data  concerning  the 
business.  There  are  certain  things  that  must  be  known  and 
likewise  certain  records  that  must  be  kept  if  success  is  to  be 
obtained.  In  order  to  know  the  profit  that  has  been  made 
during  a  certain  length  of  time,  there  must  be  known  the 
cost  of  everything,  including  feed,  labor,  supplies,  etc.  Also 
there  must  be  the  receipts  from  eggs,  broilers,  culls,  etc. 

PROTECTING  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

A  good  way  to  protect  poultry  flocks  from  disease  and  in- 
crease the  egg  yield  is  to  pin  grain  sacks  on  the  fence  or 
corrals  on  the  windward  side  and  keep  them  well  sprayed 
with  a  good  disinfecting  spray. 

There  is  more  accomplished  by  preventing  diseases,  mites 
and  lice  in  poultry  flocks  than  there  is  to  get  rid  of  these 
conditions  once  the  fowls  become  afflicted  with  them.  It  is 
the  care  of  the  chicken  that  pays  and  unless  one  uses  every 
effort  they  will  not  succeed  as  well  as  they  should.  Spraying, 

43 


hand  doping,  and  mixing  dope  in  the  feed  with  the  idea  of 
ridding  fowls  of  vermin  will  not  suffice. 

CAUSES  AND  PREVENTION  OF  LEG  WEAKNESS  IN 
POULTRY  FLOCKS 

To  the  inquiries  of  many  poultrymen  and  women  as  to 
what  causes,  how  to  prevent,  and  how  to  cure  leg  weakness 
in  poultry,  will  say.  that  this  is  usually  caused  by  forcing  the 
growth  of  the  chick  too  rapidly.  Especially  is  this  the  case 
with  broilers.  Another  frequent  cause  is  the  improper  tem- 
perature in  the  brooder.  Where  there  is  too  much  bottom 
heat,  this  trouble  will  be  encountered.  Also  it  is  sometimes 
caused  by  worms ;  and  again  it  is  found  in  cases  of  metallic 
poisoning,  birds  losing  entire  control  of  their  legs. 

The  name  is  a  good  indication  of  the  nature  of  the  trouble. 
The  fowl  walks  and  stands  with  difficulty,  and  it  may  sit 
down  while  eating.  This  is  sometimes  taken  for  rheumatism, 
but  in  leg  weakness  the  shank  remains  soft,  while  in  rheum- 
atism it  drys  up  and  becomes  contracted.  If  the  cause  is 
improper  heat  in  the  brooder,  change  it ;  if  improper  feeding, 
build  up  the  proper  health  by  discontinuing  heavy  carbon- 
aceous food,  such  as  cornmeal,  cracked  corn,  etc.,  and  give 
wheat  bran,  Canadian  peas,  boiled  beans,  together  with  meat 
meal  and  a  goodly  supply  of  alfalfa  meal  in  a  crumbly  mash. 
Also  put  rusty  nails  or  old  iron  in  the  drinking  water.  If  you 
have  any  old  horseshoes  lying  around  the  premises,  put  one 
in  each  drinking  crock.  Cut  down  the  food  supply  in  general 
as  overfeeding  is  the  most  frequent  cause.  In  the  case  of 
metallic  poisoning,  give  milk  in  place  of  drinking  water,  the 
first  thing  in  the  morning.  Always  using  crocks  in  the  place 
of  any  galvanized  vessel  and  let  them  have  water  afterwards. 

A  splendid  tonic  to  feed  your  chickens  once  or  twice  a 
week  which  is  found  elsewhere  in  this  book,  is  the  following : 
Mix  together  9  Ibs.  of  flour  of  sulphur,  5  Ibs.  Epsom  salts, 
3  Ibs.  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  3  Ibs.  copperas  (Iron  Sulphates) . 
Feed  1  Ib.  of  this  mixture  to  every  100  hens  mixed  in  a 
crumbly  mash,  using  cold  water,  fed  twice  a  week. 

Prevention.  Do  not  confine  chicks  in  a  small  yard  but 
allow  free  range.  Plenty  of  fresh  air  is  necessary.  The  brood- 
er house  should  be  kept  warm,  but  have  plenty  of  fresh  air. 
Do  not  use  a  bottom  heated  brooder.  Keep  plenty  of  litter  on 
the  floor.  Let  the  chickens  out  on  the  ground  as  soon  as  the 
weather  is  warm,  but  not  so  long  as  they  will  become  chilled. 

44 


Isolate  all  affected  birds  and  feed  the  entire  flock  as  directed. 
Provide  plenty  of  litter  for  the  chickens  to  scratch  in.  Also 
provide  fine  grit,  oyster  shell  and  ground  bone.  Be  careful 
and  do  not  overfeed,  but  feed  all  they  will  eat.  Give  milk  in 
any  form.  Give  all  the  green  feed  they  will  eat.  Keep  plenty 
of  clean  fresh  water  on  hand.  Drinking  crocks  should  be  dis- 
infected at  least  once  a  day.  Any  good  washing  powder  and 
hot  water  will  answer  the  purpose:  or  lysol  is  a  very  good 
thing  to  use  for  disinfecting. 

POULTRY  PROFITS 

Poultry  raising  like  any  other  business  can  be  made  prof- 
itable if  one  will  only  apply  themselves.  Under  present  high 
food  costs,  no  one  can  afford  to  be  without  a  few  hens  in  the 
back  yard  or  on  the  farm  and  commercial  egg  farming  on 
a  large  scale  is  a  most  wonderful  business.  When  scientific- 
ally handled,  the  cost  of  keeping  a  hen  for  a  year  is  not  great 
while  the  egg  yield  of  well  managed  flocks  produces  a  hand- 
some profit.  The  secret  of  profits  from  poultry  raising  is 
found  in  three  words — weed,  breed,  and  feed.  Weed  out  the 
non-layers,  breed  for  heavy  producers,  feed  the  elements 
necessary  for  vigorous  growth  and  profitable  egg  production. 
Hit  or  miss  methods  invariably  lead  to  failure.  Follow  the 
simple  rules  of  common  sense  and  you  are  sure  of  profit.  Let 
your  hens  help  reduce  the  high  cost  of  your  living  and  in- 
crease your  bank  roll  accordingly. 

Always  breed  from  hens  and  not  pullets.  Experiments 
show  that  chicks  hatched  from  eggs  of  mature  hens  are 
stronger  and  more  vigorous  than  those  hatched  from  pullets' 
eggs.  Never  use  a  half -grown  cockrel  for  breeding  purposes. 
A  cockrel  should  not  be  used  under  ten  months  old  and  if  the 
best  fertility  in  eggs  is  to  be  had,  stud  the  cockrels.  The  best 
results  are  obtained  by  separating  the  breeders  into  pens 
and  alternating  with  the  cockrels,  taking  the  one  out  every 
two  weeks  and  putting  in  a  fresh  bird. 

PREMATURE  MOULTING  OF  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

During  the  season  of  1921  a  great  many  flocks  moulted 
prematurely,  due  to  the  untoward  weather  conditions,  the 
spring  being  attended  by  cold  late  rains  which  produced  the 
same  effect  on  the  birds  as  consistent  dipping  would  do. 
There  seems  to  have  been  no  way  of  preventing  this  condi- 

45 


tion  although  these  poultry  peoples  who  were  using  the 
enclosed  system,  having  been  the  least  affected.  This  goes  to 
strengthen  the  argument  of  not  allowing  chickens  outside 
during  cold,  foggy,  or  rainy  weather.  Also  this  condition 
manifesting  itself  at  the  end  of  a  laying  season  found  the 
hen  especially  in  a  generally  run  down  condition  due  to  the 
heavy  strain  attended  upon  the  winter's  heavy  laying.  This 
is  another  argument  as  regards  to  judicial  use  of  lights 
being  placed  on  the  hens  during  the  laying  season.  To  guard 
against  a  reoccurrence  of  this,  one  should  strive  to  maintain 
all  the  vitality  and  laying  strength  possible  by  keeping  mites, 
lice,  and  intestinal  worms  under  control,  everything  thor- 
oughly disinfected  and  by  not  using  lights  any  longer  than 
to  give  the  hen  a  fourteen  hour  day,  thereby  conserving  her 
strength  to  meet  any  such  emergency. 

In  throwing  out  early  moulters,  a  great  deal  of  care  and 
good  judgment  must  be  used.  It  is  in  a  measure  true  that  the 
early  moulters  should  be  thrown  out,  but  nevertheless  there 
are  a  great  many  early  moulters  that  will  stage  a  quick  come 
back  so  it  is  up  to  the  person  doing  the  culling  to  exercise 
great  care  in  culling,  giving  a  good  hen  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt  rather  than  throw  her  out. 


THROWING  OUT  THE  MOULTERS 

It  has  been  the  practice  heretofore  by  a  great  many  poul- 
trymen  and  demonstrators,  to  cull  out  the  early  moulter, 
that  is  to  say  the  hen  that  would  moult  or  begin  to  moult 
before  September  1st.  Many  a  good  hen  is  sent  to  the 
market  that  should  have  been  kept  in  the  flock  as  a  good 
producer  on  account  of  having  been  thrown  out  as  an  early 
moulter.  Especially  the  season  of  1921  if  one  adhered 
strictly  to  this  rule  there  wouldn't  be  many  layers  left  after 
culling,  on  account  of  the  cold  wet  spring  that  we  had 
throughout  the  West.  Also  the  putting  on  of  the  lights  has 
a  great  deal  to  do  in  reducing  the  vitality  of  the  hens  and 
when  in  a  weakened  condition,  she  is  more  apt  to  go  into 
the  moult  not  only  from  this  cause  but  from  ill  feeding,  lice, 
and  mites.  Give  the  honest-to-goodness  hens  a  chance  and 
they  will  make  good.  Do  not  condemn  them  when  they 
start  to  slip  and  throw  them  out  of  the  flock  when  you  your- 
self are  to  blame.  If  not  you,  then  it  is  a  cinch  that  the 
weather  conditions  of  1921  were  certainly  against  the 

46 


poultry  game.  It  is  highly  proper  that  we  should  throw 
out  the  real  culls  and  thereby  reduce  our  feed  bills  and  in- 
crease the  egg  yield  as  everyone  realizes  that  a  cull  hen  is 
good  for  nothing  else  but  to  breed  vermin  and  eat  up  feed, 
but  one  should  make  every  allowance  for  the  really  good 
hen.  It  certainly  costs  more  to  raise  pullets  to  take  the 
place  of  hens  than  it  does  to  give  the  good  hen  a  chance.  If 
we  paid  more  attention  to  the  breeding  of  good  foundation 
stock  and  to  take  just  a  little  bit  better  care  of  the  hen,  we 
would  not  have  so  many  culls  as  is  the  case  at  the  present 
time.  It  is  really  easier  and  far  more  profitable  to  pay  a 
little  stricter  attention  to  the  elimination  of  lice  from  the 
chickens'  bodies,  mites  from  the  houses  and  coops,  and 
worms  from  their  bodies,  than  it  is  to  neglect  these  three 
things  which  cause  95  %  of  all  the  grief  in  the  poultry  busi- 
ness. 


THE  ART  OF  CULLING  THE  POULTRY  FLOCK 

Always  cull  in  the  day  time.  While  the  Hogan  System  is 
all  0.  K.  to  prove  by,  there  are  many  ways  of  distinguishing 
a  laying  hen. 

First  of  all,  a  great  deal  may  be  told  by  the  head.  The 
head  of  a  laying  leghorn  hen  resembles  very  closely  a  sketch 
of  same  on  a  pumpkin  seed, — short  beak,  large  red  comb  and 
wattles,  avoiding  crow  necks.  Also  the  hen  should  have  a 
long  back  and  slanting  tail,  not  too  thick  through  the  thighs, 
medium — neither  long  nor  short  legs.  A  hen  may  be  judged 
like  a  steer — a  great  deal  is  told  by  experience. 

Cull  these  hens, — sick,  weak,  lacking  vigor,  inactive,  poor 
eaters,  molted  or  started  to  molt  before  September  1st  un- 
less they  show  good  qualities,  with  small  puckered  dry  vents, 
hard  dull  colored  combs,  with  thick  or  coarse  stiff  pelvic 
bones,  pelvic  bones  close  together,  small  spread  between 
pelvic  bones  and  rear  end  of  keel,  and  full  hard  small  abdo- 
men. In  breeds  with  yellow  skin  and  shanks,  the  discarded 
hens  should  also  show  yellow  or  medium  yellow  shanks,  and 
yellow  beaks  and  vents.  Also  a  white  leghorn  hen,  when  she 
is  not  laying  and  is  otherwise  a  non-producer,  has  yellow 
beak  and  shanks ;  the  same  is  true  when  the  breeding  cock 
is  a  Rhode  Island  Red. 

Save  these  hens, — healthy,  strong,  vigorous,  alert,  active, 
good  eaters,  not  moulting  or  just  beginning  to  molt  in  Sep- 

47 


tember  or  October,  with  large  moist  vent,  with  large  bright 
red  combs,  thin  pliable  pelvic  bones  well  spread  apart,  wide 
spread  between  pelvic  bones  and  rear  end  of  keel,  and  large 
soft  pliable  abdomen.  In  breeds  with  yellow  skins,  the 
shanks  of  hens  saved  should  also  show  pale  or  white  shanks 
and  pale  or  white  beaks  and  vents. 

A  systematic  culling  of  the  flock,  based  upon  six  factors 
should  be  used :  vitality,  moult,  body  capacity,  pelvic  bones, 
pigmentation,  and  the  crop. 

First:  Vitality.  This  is  judged  from  an  examination  of 
the  keel,  breast,  and  head.  A  bird  that  lacks  vitality  is  list- 
less and  mopes,  its  keel  is  shrunken,  its  breast  does  not  indi- 
cate vitality,  and  it  has  a  small  crusty  comb,  and  long  beak, 
and  dull  eyes.  On  the  other  hand,  the  high  producing  hen  is 
plump  about  the  keel,  her  breast  is  firm,  indicating  vitality ; 
she  has  brilliant,  prominent  eyes,  large  comb  free  of  scales, 
and  a  short  well  curved  beak,  and  a  good  shaped  head. 

Second:  Moult.  The  high  producing  hen  will  moult  rap- 
idly and  late  in  the  season,  while  the  low  producer  will  moult 
slowly  and  early.  Under  ordinary  conditions,  a  hen  that  has 
completed,  or  is  well  into  the  moult  in  July  or  August, 
should  be  discarded  from  the  flock.  The  hen  that  is  just  be- 
ginning to  moult  in  September  or  October  should  be  retained 
as  a  desirable  layer  and  possible  breeder.  The  late  moulting 
hen  will  be  characterized  in  the  fall  by  broken  and  thread- 
bare plumage.  The  early  moulting  hen  will  have  clean,  new 
plumage,  and  a  full  coat  of  new  feathers,  by  this  time. 

Third:  Body  Capacity.  This  indicates  ability  to  digest 
and  assimilate  large  quantities  of  feed.  Place  your  hand 
across  the  intestinal  regions,  index  finger  pressing  up  against 
the  pelvic  bones,  which  terminate  on  each  side  of  the  vent, 
and  the  small  finger  resting  down  against  the  end  of  the 
keel,  which  terminates  at  a  distance  between  the  pelvic 
bones.  The  abdomen  at  this  point  should  be  full,  soft  and 
pliable,  but  not  baggy  to  such  an  extent  that  it  drops  below 
the  point  of  keel.  It  should  not  bend  top  abruptly  upward, 
nor  be  firm  with  fat  deposit.  The  capacity  of  a  good  layer 
ranges  from  four  to  six  fingers  in  distance  from  the  pelvic 
bones  to  the  keel.  One  or  two  finger  capacity  birds  should  be 
culled  out,  though  it  pays  sometimes  to  keep  a  hen  with  a 
good  three  finger  capacity  if  she  is  otherwise  0.  K. 

Fourth:  Pelvic  Bones:  The  pelvic  bones  should  be 
straight,  far  apart,  and  ranging  in  thickness  from  1-16  to  3-8 
of  an  inch.  Thick  inflexible  and  crooked  pelvic  bones  indicate 

48 


poor  layers.  The  distance  between  the  pelvic  bones  has  a 
direct  bearing  on  the  amount  of  energy  which  must  be  spent 
in  the  act  of  laying.  In  judging  the  thickness  of  pelvic  bones, 
include  gristle  and  skin. 

Fifth:  Pigmentation.  (Applies  to  yellow-legged  breeds 
only.)  There  is  a  close  relationship  between  the  laying  activ- 
ities of  fowls  and  the  amount  of  yellow  pigment  in  their 
bodies.  If  the  bird,  after  being  in  the  laying  pen  for  a  con- 
siderable length  of  time,  has  a  yellow  vent,  beak  and  legs,  it 
is  fair  to  assume  that  she  is  a  slacker  and  should  be  culled. 
Do  not  attempt  to  cull  on  the  strength  of  vent  color  alone. 
Pale  legged  birds  are  usually  heavy  layers. 

Sixth:  The  Crop  Test.  It  is  advisable  to  visit  the  hen 
house  after  all  the  birds  have  gone  to  roost,  following  up  a 
rather  heavy  feed  at  night,  and  make  a  careful  note  of  all 
birds  with  light  crops.  These  are  usually  the  poor  producers 
unless  temporarily  out  of  condition,  while  those  with  full 
distended  crops  are  of  the  industrious  type  and,  if  the  pelvic 
bones  are  thin  and  pliable,  are  usually  heavy  layers. 

A  check  may  be  made  by  the  use  of  leg  bands,  numbering 
those  with  empty  crops  or  with  partially  empty  crops  as  you 
find  them.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  remove  them  from  the  flock 
at  this  time  and  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  trouble. 

Another  good  plan  for  testing  out  a  hen  for  laying  is  to 
visit  the  hen  house  in  the  early  morning  before  daylight. 
Remove  birds  singly  from  the  perches  and  make  this  test: 
turn  the  bird  with  the  right  side  down,  the  shanks  or  legs 
in  your  right  hand,  the  back  resting  on  the  palm  and  fingers 
of  the  left  hand.  Slip  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  under  the 
bird's  body,  until  the  fingers  touch  the  pelvic  bones,  then 
gently  but  firmly  press  the  tips  of  the  fingers  into  the  sides 
of  the  bird's  body,  and  up  under  the  pelvic  bones  toward  the 
back.  If  an  egg  is  present  it  will  be  felt  as  a  hard  lump. 
When  learning,  results  can  be  checked  by  pushing  the  fore- 
finger into  the  vent  of  the  hen,  and  up  the  oviduct  until  the 
egg  is  felt.  This  method  is  valuable  for  culling  non-layers 
and  selecting  breeders. 

To  further  supplement  the  work  of  culling  the  following 
chart  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  characteristics  of  the  produc- 
tive and  non-productive  types,  and  what  they  signify :  The 
good-laying  and  productive  type  is  indicated  first  by  the  head 
— neat,  fine  and  feminine  with  no  coarse  feature  or  indica- 
tion of  beefiness.  The  poor  laying  and  unproductive  type 

49 


usually  has  a  head  that  is  long,  snaky  and  usually  lacking  in 
fineness. 


Good 

Comb  and  Wattles: 

Scarlet  red  when  laying.  Usu- 
ally large  for  the  breed  and  of 
fine  texture. 

Eyes  : 

Brilliant  and  prominent. 

Beak  and  Legs : 

Beak  and  legs  well  bleached 
out  indicate  a  past  egg  laying 
performance  of  four  or  more 
months. 

Crop  at  Night: 
Full  and  distended. 

Breast : 
Very  plump  and  broad. 

Abdomen : 

Soft  and  flexible,  but  not  bag- 
gy; 4  to  6  fingers  capacity. 

Pelvic  Bones: 

Thin,  straight,  far  apart,  flex- 
ible, limiting  thickness  not 
over  %  inch.  Less  preferable. 

Back: 
Broad  and  long. 

Plumage : 

Ragged  and  worn  but  closely 
feathered. 


Poor 

Small,  shriveled  up,  with 
whitish  scurf  over  sur- 
face. Usually  small  for 
the  breed. 

Dull,  sunken,  listless;  in- 
dicates lack  of  vitality. 

Yellow,  never  bleached, 
unless  bred  from  R.  I.  R. 
stock. 


Very  light. 
Sunken  and  narrow. 

Very  firm  and  small ;  1  to 
2  fingers  capacity  or  less. 

Thick,  rigid  and  close  to- 
gether. 

Narrow. 

Loose  feathering.  No  in- 
dications of  industrious 


wear. 
Toe  Nails. 

Usually  short  and  worn  off.        Very  long. 

Be  sure  and  get  rid  of  your  slackers.  When  did  you  cull 
your  flock  last  ?  Swat  the  slackers  persistently  and  weed  out 
the  boarders.  It  is  the  only  way  to  make  your  flock  yield 
maximum  profits  with  a  minimum  outlay. 

American  breeds,  such  as  Plymouth  Rocks,  Wyandottes, 
Rhode  Island  Reds,  Buckeyes  and  Dominiques,  are  consid- 
ered the  best  general  utility  type  for  the  average  American 

50 


farmer,  because  they  can  be  brought  to  a  high  production  in 
eggs  and  also  furnish  a  desirable  carcass  for  the  table.  The 
English  breeds  are  also  of  a  good  general  utility  type. 

The  Mediterranean  breeds,  such  as  Leghorns,  Minorcas, 
Anconas,  and  Andalusians,  are  the  best  breeds  where  high 
egg  production  is  the  object.  They  are  seldom  bred  for  meat. 

The  Langshan,  Brahma,  and  Cochin  are  the  typical  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Asiatic  class.  These  birds  are  heavier  and 
are  usually  bred  for  meat  purposes.  They  can  also  be  brought 
to  a  fair  egg  production  by  scientific  feeding  and  breeding. 

To  catch  birds  for  testing,  build  a  crate  about  4x4x2. 
Place  a  door  at  the  top  for  removing  the  hens,  and  an  open- 
ing on  one  end  with  a  slide  door  that  may  be  dropped  to  con- 
fine the  birds.  Place  the  end  of  the  crate  with  the  slide  door 
against  the  opening  in  the  house,  and  run  birds  into  crate. 

REMEDY  FOR  LOCAL  APPLICATION  FOR  ROUP 

Three  tablespoonsf  ul  of  lard,  2  tablespoonsf  ul  kerosene,  1 
tablespoonful  of  glycerine,  2  drops  of  5%  solution  of  carbolic 
acid.  Apply  to  head  and  wattles  in  early  stages. 

FOR  ROUP  OR  CONTAGIOUS  CATARRH 

Keep  the  chickens  in  a  well  ventilated  house,  but  dry, 
warm,  and  free  from  drafts  of  air.  When  cold  first  develops, 
separate  the  sick  from  the  healthy  birds  and  dip  heads  of 
sick  fowls  in  a  solution  of  a  pinch  of  permanganate  of  potash 
to  a  quart  of  lukewarm  water  twice  a  day  until  the  fowl  gets 
well,  or  a  handful  of  table  salt  to  each  quart  of  warm  water 
in  the  same  manner  is  a  good  remedy. 

For  advanced  stages,  use  a  local  remedy  about  the  head: 
Analgesic  Balm  or  Vicks  Vapo  Rub.  Keep  premises  well  dis- 
infected and  drinking  crocks  clean.  What  will  lay  on  a  dime 
of  Permanganate  of  Potash  to  each  gallon  of  drinking  water 
should  be  used  to  prevent  the  spread  of  Roup. 

Roup  like  chicken  pox  is  preventable  in  a  way,  if  poultry 
raisers  would  only  exercise  the  same  prudence  and  care  with 
their  flocks  that  they  take  of  themselves,  there  would  be 
less  numbers  quit  the  business  and  more  success  would 
attend  their  efforts.  When  roup  has  gained  headway  enough 
in  a  flock  where  the  heads  of  fowls  become  swollen,  it  is 
better  to  kill  such  birds  and  bury  them,  or  better  still,  burn 
their  bodies.  Roup  like  a  great  many  other  diseases  of  poul- 

51 


try,  is  carried  from  one  place  to  another  by  birds,  by  other 
fowls  brought  into  the  flock,  or  from  other  birds  in  the  show 
room.  Also  pigeons  carry  disease,  such  as  Coccidiosis,  etc. 
Keep  your  yards,  coops,  and  premises  well  disinfected  with 
any  good  disinfecting  spray,  always  avoiding  using  water 
with  same.  Also  keep  houses  free  from  drafts  of  air  and 
dampness  and  keep  them  well  ventilated.  Roup  like  every 
other  disease  in  poultry  flocks  is  easier  to  prevent  than  to 
cure. 

REMOVE  THE  CAUSE 

It  is  important  to  remove  the  cause  of  the  disease,  since 
while  this  continues  to  act,  a  cure  is  impossible.  For  in- 
stance: in  cold  or  roup  which  usually  result  from  exposure 
or  dampness,  filthy  quarters,  or  cold  draughts  of  air,  remove 
the  patient  to  dry,  clean  quarters,  with  plenty  of  fresh  air, 
free  from  draughts.  If  the  disease  is  caused  by  bacteria, 
clean  the  place  and  disinfect  thoroughly. 

SANITARY  REQUIREMENTS 

To  meet  with  success  in  the  poultry  business,  disinfecting 
of  premises  must  be  practiced.  It  will  prevent  disease,  espec- 
ially where  a  large  number  of  birds  are  kept  on  limited 
grounds.  On  farms  where  chickens  are  kept  on  unlimited 
range,  the  loss  from  disease  is  insignificant,  but  in  the  in- 
tensive poultry  yard  where  there  is  comparatively  little 
range,  proper  sanitation  must  be  enforced. 

Twenty-five  chickens  will  make  one  ton  of  manure  in  the 
course  of  one  year,  so  you  can  readily  see  the  importance  of 
proper  sanitation. 

ADMITTING  DRAUGHTS  OF  AIR  TO  POULTRY  HOUSES 

AND  YARDS 

The  writer  in  his  various  travels  about  the  state  of  Cali- 
fornia has  found  in  many  poultry  flocks  colds  and  roupy 
conditions,  and  maintains  that  draughts  of  air  and  cold 
winds  along  with  dampness  is  the  main  cause  of  this  condi- 
tion. It  has  been  the  opinion  of  a  great  many  poultry  men 
and  women  throughout  the  state,  that  it  is  perfectly  natural 
for  their  poultry  flocks  at  certain  times  of  the  year  to  have 
colds  and  likewise  roup.  If  one  would  but  exercise  care  and 
judgemnt  in  the  building  and  maintaining  of  poultry  houses 

52 


and  yards,  the  egg  yield  would  be  larger  and  a  great  deal  of 
grief  and  likewise  discouragement  and  failures  avoided  in 
the  poultry  business. 

It  is  one  thing  to  allow  the  chickens  to  run  wild  and  roost 
outside  in  trees,  etc.,  and  another  thing  to  house  them  up  in 
an  improperly  ventilated  house  where  cold  draughts  of  air 
will  surely  affect  the  birds  if  great  care  is  not  taken  to  avoid 
same. 

Never  use  water  to  spray  with  for  one  thing,  and  if  you 
will  take  notice,  especially  in  the  afternoon,  which  way  the 
prevailing  wind  comes  from  and  protect  your  chickens  ac- 
cordingly, you  will  have  healthier  flocks  as  a  whole.  Where 
there  are  open  yards,  a  good  plan  is  to  tack  sacks  around  the 
fences  and  keep  them  well  sprayed  with  a  disinfecting  spray. 
This  will  be  of  a  great  benefit.  As  a  rule  it  is  best  to  face  the 
poultry  house  to  the  south  if  this  can  be  conveniently  done. 

With  the  inclosed  system,  you  can  protect  your  chickens 
from  cold  drafts  of  air  and  winds  in  any  manner  which 
might  suggest  itself  in  the  way  of  construction  of  houses. 
More  good  chickens  are  killed  in  the  manner  discussed  than 
in  any  other  manner  and  likewise  more  eggs  are  lost. 

WHY  CHICKENS  HAVE  CHICKEN  POX  AND  DIPTHER- 

ITIC  ROUP 

To  begin  with,  some  poultry  men  argue  that  chicken  pox, 
like  small  pox  and  other  contagious  and  infectious  diseases, 
is  carried  through  the  air.  If  this  is  true,  and  it  probably  is, 
then  a  very  good  plan,  though  it  may  seem  like  mollycoddling 
a  chicken,  is  this :  where  the  open  yard  system  is  practiced, 
use  jute  sacks  tacked  around  the  yards,  or  rather  the  ends 
fastened  together,  which  can  be  done  easily  by  passing  a  nail 
over  the  wire  in  the  fence  and  through  the  sack.  After  this 
is  done,  spray  the  sacks  thoroughly  with  any  good  disinfect- 
ing spray,  always  avoiding  water.  Also  this  will  be  found  to 
be  very  beneficial  to  poultry  flocks,  acting  as  a  windbreak. 

Some  argue  that  chicken  pox,  which  in  reality  is  bird  pox, 
or  to  be  exact  small  pox,  of  chicken  flocks.  It  is  carried  by 
birds  which  fly  from  one  yard  to  the  other.  Also  it  may  be 
carried  on  the  clothing  or  shoes  of  persons  or  more  probably 
by  sacks  brought  from  the  feed  yard  which  have  previously 
been  gathered  from  some  poultryman's  feed  house  where 
possibly  some  chicken  afflicted  with  the  disease  has  been. 
The  only  thing  to  be  done  by  any  one  entering  the  poultry 

53 


yard,  or  better  still,  leaving  the  yards,  is  to  either  scrape  off 
their  shoes  which  might  have  picked  up  the  droppings,  or 
disinfect  their  shoes  which  any  thoughtful  person  entering 
one's  premises  would  do. 

Diphtheritic  roup  is  a  sort  of  companionable  disease  of 
bird  pox  and  may  be  cured  by  injecting  into  the  nostrils  of 
the  chicken  with  a  short  hard  rubber  syringe.  Also  the 
throat  of  the  bird  may  be  swabbed  out,  using  a  pledget  of 
cotton  on  an  applicator.  Use  the  following  formulae :  1  pint 
of  high  grade  salad  oil,  %  pint  kerosene;  V&  pint  U.  S.  P. 
turpentine,  and  2  squares  of  Gum  Camphor.  First  put  the 
oil  in  an  open  glass  fruit  jar.  Set  on  a  thin  piece  of  wood 
like  a  cigar  box  lid,  in  cold  water  and  set  over  the  fire  until 
the  water  comes  to  a  boil,  thereby  heating  the  oil.  Shake 
same  occasionally  until  it  is  dissolved,  then  put  in  turpentine 
and  kerosene  and  it  is  ready  for  use ;  also  the  gum  camphor 
is  soluable  in  the  turpentine.  This  is  an  A-l  remedy  and 
can't  be  beaten.  Also  in  the  event  of  bird  pox,  take  1  table- 
spoonful  of  cream  of  tartar  and  pour  over  this  1  pint  of  boil- 
ing water.  When  cold  put  this  in  %  gallon  of  drinking  water 
and  give  to  chickens  to  drink.  Both  diseases  are  more  pre- 
ventable than  curable. 

Dampness  a  great  many  times  is  caused  by  using  water  in 
spray  which  one  should  positively  not  do.  Use  nothing  but 
a  good  oil  spray  which  may  be  made  by  using  one  gallon  of 
crank  case  oil,  1  quart  of  crude  carbolic  acid  or  sheep  dip, 
and  thin  same  down  with  distillate,  kerosene  or  coal  oil  tops. 
Remember  that  it  is  the  disinfecting  part  of  the  game  that 
counts.  Also  drafts  of  air  must  be  avoided  in  poultry  houses, 
and  as  must  is  imperative  in  law,  it  must  be  done  in  this  case. 

Now  as  to  the  drinking  crocks.  Disinfect  drinking  crocks 
at  noon  each  day.  This  is  done  by  washing  them  out  with 
hot  water  and  Pearson's  Creolin,  or  Gold  Dust  Twins.  Also 
spray  the  houses  thoroughly  at  least  three  times  a  week 
until  the  disease  disappears.  The  additional  runs  also  should 
be  limed  and  sprayed.  Potassium  Permanganate  may  be 
placed  in  the  drinking  water  to  prevent  the  roupy  condition 
or  rather  the  contagion  from  spreading.  Use  an  amount  that 
will  lie  on  the  surface  of  a  dime  to  each  gallon  of  drinking 
water.  Also  if  one  cares  to  doctor  their  chickens  by  hand, 
the  warts  or  pox  may  be  softened  by  using  Carbolated  Vase- 
line and  Pearson's  Creolin.  The  Diphtheritic  roup  remedy 
will  take  care  of  the  canker  in  the  throat  but  if  it  does  not, 
remove  the  canker  with  a  small  piece  of  wire  or  a  crochet 

64 


hook  and  paint  same  with  Pearson's  Creolin  or  tincture  of 
iron.  The  pox  will  not  come  in  the  eyes  if  split  in  the  roof  of 
the  mouth  and  nostrils  are  kept  clean.  The  whole  thing  is, 
it  is  "the  care  of  the  chicken  that  pays." 


PROCESSING  BARLEY  FOR  CHICKEN  FEED 

To  avoid  having  green  mold  accumulate  on  the  barley  as 
it  is  dampened,  if  you  will  but  use  %  of  a  tablespoonful  of 
Parke  Davis  &  Company's  Kreso  Dip  to  each  20  gallons  of 
fresh  water,  it  will  be  prevented. 

The  barley  should  be  put  in  a  tub  or  vat  with  an  outlet  at 
the  bottom  and  should  be  kept  under  water  for  24  hours, 
then  drain  and  take  out  and  put  in  trays  similar  to  fruit 
trays  with  numerous  small  holes  in  the  bottom  to  admit 
water  running  through.  Throw  sacks  over  barley  and  run 
fresh  water  through  it  twice  a  day  for  four  days.  One  should 
be  very  careful  to  keep  barley  covered  with  water  the  first 
day  and  do  not  use  any  more  Kreso  Dip  than  is  advocated. 
It  is  claimed  by  some  that  this  manner  of  treating  barley  is 
also  good  to  eliminate  worms  in  poultry  flocks. 

Another  splendid  method  of  processing  barley  is  to  take 
one  teaspoonful  of  Formaldahyde  to  each  three  gallons  of 
water.  Use  same  methods  as  in  using  Kreso  Dip.  One  poul- 
try man  with  a  flock  of  some  1800  birds  used  this  method 
and  found  it  to  be  very  efficient  and  also  had  very  little 
illness  in  the  flock  and  the  egg  yield  from  this  same  flock 
was  far  above  the  average. 

WHY  HENS  DO  NOT  LAY  MORE  EGGS 

Since  the  days  when  hens  first  began,  this  has  been  a 
much  mooted  question.  To  begin  with,  it  is  the  strain  of  the 
bird  that  tells  the  whole  story,  plus  good  management,  good 
housing,  good  feed,  and  the  care  of  the  bird.  It  has  come  to 
the  point  where  there  is  too  much  inbreeding,  cross  breed- 
ing, etc.,  that  the  stock  has  become  run  down.  The  introduc- 
tion of  White  Rocks,  White  Minorcas,  Black  Minorcas,  and 
other  breeds  crossed  has  simply  produced  "white  chickens" 
and  not  laying  hens,  and  we  now  find  a  larger  percentage  of 
culls  or  non-producers  than  ever  before.  Another  thing,  a 
great  many  hatcheries  in  their  anxiety  to  supply  the  trade 
with  baby  chicks,  have  hatched  from  pullet  eggs,  with  no 

55 


regard  as  to  mating,  and  no  idea  in  mind  but  producing  num- 
bers of  chickens  in  place  of  quality. 

To  be  successful  in  the  producing  of  laying  Leghorn  stock, 
new  blood  should  be  constantly  introduced  from  the  best  and 
highest  bred  Leghorn  chickens  obtainable.  A  genuine  Leg- 
horn hen  will  consume  less  feed  and  lay  more  eggs  than  the 
so-called  cross  breeds  of  white  chickens. 

:  There  are  three  contributary  causes  which  cut  down  the 
number  of  eggs  produced  by  a  hen — mites,  lice,  and  intes- 
tinal worms.  Any  one  of  these  three  or  the  three  combined, 
will  cut  down  a  hen's  vitality,  and  consequently  her  egg  pro- 
duction. 

Mites  are  strictly  a  house  proposition  and  any  good  spray 
may  be  used  to  eradicate  the  same.  Avoid  using  water  in 
poultry  houses,  as  a  chicken  cannot  stand  dampness.  A  good 
spray  may  be  made  by  using  1  gallon  crank  case  oil,  obtained 
from  any  garage  or  filling  station,  combined  with  one  quart 
of  crude  carbolic  acid  or  sheep  dip.  The  whole  amount  may 
be  thinned  down  with  kerosene,  distillate,  or  keronese  tops. 
After  spraying  the  roosts,  before  the  spray  soaks  in,  lime 
and  any  good  lice  powder  may  be  scattered  over  the  perches 
and  dropping  boards. 

Lice  contribute  more  to  the  downfall  of  a  hen  than  any 
other  of  the  three  causes  mentioned,  and  the  best  way  to 
prevent  lice  is  to  start  when  the  chickens  are  young  by  mak- 
ing a  good  dirt  wallow,  composed  of  fine  loose  dirt,  lime,  and 
a  goodly  sprinkling  of  good  lice  powder.  Cover  this  mixture 
with  loose  dirt  and  keep  the  same  damp,  but  not  wet,  thereby 
inducing  the  hen  to  use  it  freely,  as  they  will  use  a  damp 
place  in  preference  to  any  other.  Also  a  handful  of  good  lice 
powder  should  be  mixed  with  the  nesting,  after  spraying 
nests  once  a  month  and  using  sawdust  or  shavings.  Also  any 
good  lice  powder  placed  in  jute  sacks  may  be  hung  suffi- 
ciently low  over  the  runways  where  the  chickens  go  in  and 
out  the  houses,  that  it  will  touch  their  backs  in  passing 
under. 

Intestinal  worms  are  indicated,  as  explained  before,  in 
poultry  flocks  by  pinkish  red  droppings,  and  general  weak- 
ness of  the  chickens.  Sixty  per  cent  of  all  young  stock  are 
supposed  to  have  them.  An  excellent  remedy  may  be  used 
consisting  of  3i/2  pounds  of  Epsom  Salts,  2i/2  pounds  of  to- 
bacco dust,  and  a  large  tablespoonf  ul  of  U.  S.  P.  turpentine, 
mixed  thoroughly  in  100  pounds  of  dry  mash.  Starve  the 
chickens  one  half  day  and  place  this  mixture  in  the  hoppers, 

56 


pouring  over  it  sour  milk  or  semi-solid  buttermilk  to  kill  the 
taste  of  the  tobacco.  Repeat  in  ten  days,  then  every  six 
months  and  repeat. 

In  addition,  feed  for  laying  hens  should  consist  of  a  well 
balanced  mash  with  a  high  animal  protein  and  plenty  of 
green  feed.  The  morning  meal  should  consists  of  any  good 
scratch  feed  thrown  in  a  litter  or  buried  in  the  earth,  so  that 
they  must  work  to  obtain  same.  Dry  mash  should  be  left 
before  them  at  all  times.  The  evening  meal  should  consist  of 
scratch  feed,  principally  wheat  if  obtainable,  with  cracked 
corn  or  milo  throughout  the  winter.  Give  them  what  they 
will  clean  up  in  twenty  minutes,  which  is  sufficient  for  a  feed. 
As  to  green  feed — barley  in  the  winter  time  and  sudan  grass 
in  the  summer  time,  make  the  very  best  greens,  although 
clover,  alfalfa,  mangel  beets,  kale,  cabbage,  lettuce,  lawn 
clippings,  and  many  other  greens  may  be  used.  Feed  greens 
twice  a  day. 

The  houses  should  be  kept  well  ventilated,  but  free  from 
draughts  of  air,  and  also  the  houses  at  all  times  should  be 
thoroughly  disinfected.  Drinking  crocks  should  be  kept 
thoroughly  clean  and  chickens  should  not  be  allowed  to 
drink  out  of  dirty  pools. 

It  is  alright  to  put  electric  lights  on  chickens  in  winter 
time,  but  these  should  not  be  turned  on  too  early  in  the 
morning.  Four  o'clock  is  early  enough. 

Now  as  to  culling — many  people  are  carrying  in  their 
poultry  flocks  at  least  ten  percent  absolute  culls,  which  are 
non-producers,  also  slackers,  and  loafers.  It  is  a  good  plan 
to  cull  every  month  in  the  year,  that  is  to  say,  take  out  those 
hens  that  are  not  producing.  Anyone  with  a  trained  eye  can 
pick  a  cull  hen  out  of  a  flock  at  any  time  during  the  year.  A 
general  culling  should  take  place  about  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber and  save  only  capacity  hens.  Early  molters  will  make 
good  layers  later  on  but  it  does  not  pay  to  carry  a  hen  that 
is  a  liability  rather  than  an  asset  with  the  consequent  high 
price  of  feed  that  would  otherwise  be  consumed  by  hens 
producing  a  goodly  number  of  eggs.  I  would  not  keep  any 
hen  in  the  flock  that  would  not  produce  140  eggs  per  year. 

THE  CARE  OF  THE  CHICKEN 

The  person  who  goes  into  the  poultry  business  thinking 
that  all  will  be  a  pathway  of  roses,  makes  a  tremendous  mis- 
take. There  are  many  shoals  and  rocks  that  are  hidden  from 

67 


the  sight  that  you  will  run  up  against  and  you  may  count 
yourself  fortunate  if  you  are  not  completely  swamped.  How- 
ever, these  troubles  only  make  one  more  careful  and  give 
the  experience  that  is  not  easily  forgotten.  The  one  who  is 
apt  to  become  discouraged  should  fortify  themselves  against 
such  things  and  take  them  with  as  light  a  heart  as  possible. 
Stick  right  on  the  job  till  it  is  finished  and  you  are  bound  to 
come  out  alright. 

Do  not  force  fowls  to  drink  unclean  water.  You  will  look 
into  the  drinking  fountain  or  jar  and  say  that  they  have 
water,  but  are  you  careful  to  note  the  quality  of  the  water? 
Very  many  times  the  chickens  will  not  drink  the  water  in 
their  fount  even  if  they  will  will  drink  out  of  a  mud  puddle. 
Put  in  fresh  clean  water  and  note  how  quickly  they  will  go 
for  it.  Crocks  should  be  used  wherever  possible  and  the 
drinking  crocks  should  be  cleaned  at  least  once  a  day.  Pre- 
ferably one  may  use  any  good  cleanser  or  Pearson's  Creolin 
is  a  very  good  disinfectant  to  use. 

Now  as  to  the  feeding.  Learn  the  food  or  the  best  combi- 
nations of  foods,  that  is  to  say  mash,  grains,  greens,  etc., 
best  adapted  to  the  breed  of  chicken,  to  climatic  conditions, 
etc.  Everyone  knows  that  too  much  corn  fed  in  a  warm  cli- 
mate is  much  more  injurious  to  chickens  than  if  fed  in  the 
winter  time  or  in  a  cold  climate.  A  good  system  of  feeding 
is  to  throw  the  grain  in  a  clean  litter  at  night  and  make 
them  work  for  their  breakfast.  Leave  a  good  mash  before 
them  at  all  times  and  if  one  is  favorable  to  the  feeding  of 
wet  mash,  whole  milk — soured  or  semi-solid  buttermilk 
which  does  not  contain  a  preservative,  mixed  with  the  mash 
is  very  good.  Also  feeding  of  processed  barley,  oats,  etc.,  is 
an  excellent  feed  and  will  partially  take  the  place  of  green 
feeds. 

The  very  best  green  feeds  are  barley,  sudan  grass,  alfalfa, 
etc.,  but  after  all  if  it  were  possible  to  obtain  clover  for 
greens  cut  in  quarter  inch  length,  this  is  decidedly  the  very 
best  green  feed.  You  will  be  surprised  to  learn  the  very 
great  quantity  of  this  that  your  chickens  will  eat.  It  is  about 
as  valuable  a  food  as  you  can  give  them.  It  is  very  rich  in 
protein  and  besides  this  contains  potash,  soda,  and  prosphor- 
ous  acid,  making  it  a  splendid  food  for  poultry.  The  birds  are 
very  eager  for  it  and  by  once  trying  them  with  this  and  dis- 
covering how  well  they  take  it,  you  will  never  be  without 
your  clover  hay  for  the  chickens. 

58 


The  evening  meal  should  contain  a  good  scratch  food 
which  may  be  improved  in  cold  weather  by  the  heating  of  the 
grain  which  will  help  to  increase  the  egg  production  and  the 
hens  are  sure  to  like  it.  Scatter  well  and  what  they  will  pick 
up  in  20  minutes  will  be  sufficient.  Don't  let  anybody  go  to 
bed  hungry  and  without  a  drink  of  good  clean  water.  In 
addition  to  this,  the  housing  of  the  poultry  is  something 
that  must  be  looked  after  very  carefully.  Avoid  drafts  of 
air,  dampness,  and  untoward  conditions  and  above  all,  prac- 
tice cleanliness.  Clean  the  dropping  boards  as  often  as  pos- 
sible. Keep  the  houses  well  sprayed  with  a  good  disinfect- 
ing spray  but  always  avoid  using  water.  Also  avoid  over- 
crowding at  any  stage  of  the  game.  If  your  chickens  are 
housed  in  small  coops  about  your  place,  see  to  it  that  they 
are  up  on  good  dry  ground.  If  placed  on  low  spots,  the  water 
from  every  rain  will  run  in  and  make  the  place  damp.  When 
placing  the  coops,  place  them  high  and  dry.  It  is  a  good  plan 
to  fill  the  dirt  end  of  the  coop  so  that  it  will  be  higher  than 
the  outside  dirt. 

A  well  cared  for,  well  bred  bird  is  a  thing  of  beauty  and  a 
joy  forever.  You  can  tell  the  difference  between  a  poorly 
and  well  bred  bird  almost  at  a  glance.  Almost  any  novice  can 
tell  the  difference.  It  pays  to  breed  good  stock  so  long  as  you 
have  to  have  them  around  you,  and  it  doesn't  cost  any  more 
to  raise  a  thoroughbred  than  it  does  a  scrub  and  you  will 
derive  much  personal  satisfaction  in  seeing  good  stock.  Be- 
sides, the  monetary  consideration  is  something  to  be 
thought  of. 

Making  a  success  in  poultry  work  is  determined  in  a  large 
measure  by  the  man  or  woman  taking  it  up.  One  cannot  tell 
beforehand  whether  or  not  they  can  readily  adapt  them- 
selves to  the  work.  By  starting  on  a  small  scale  and  moving 
slowly,  this  can  be  determined  without  a  loss  of  a  good  deal 
of  time  or  money. 

IMPOSSIBLE  FOR  A  HEN  TO  LAY  HALF  AN  EGG 

In  dressing  a  hen,  one  frequently  finds  a  bunch  of  little  egg 
yolks.  The  natural  assumption  is  that  the  hen  is  about  ready 
to  lay,  but  frequently  this  is  not  the  case.  A  hen  cannot  lay 
half  an  egg.  If  feed  is  largely  grain  she  gets  an  abundance 
of  yolk-forming  elements  but  little  with  which  to  make 
whites.  She  therefore  makes  a  lot  of  little  yolks  which  are 
eventually  absorbed  back  into  the  system  if  white-forming 

59 


elements  are  not  supplied  to  complete  the  eggs.  This  tends 
to  make  her  fat  and  further  interferes  with  egg  production. 
The  egg  yield  depends  to  a  very  large  extent  on  the  proper 
balance  of  white-forming  and  yolk-forming  elements.  Any 
single  grain  or  combination  of  grains  does  not  provide  suffi- 
cient white-forming  nutrients  to  balance  the  yolks.  White- 
forming  elements  are  also  used  for  blood,  lean  meat,  nerves 
and  feathers,  and  so  when  provided  in  small  quantities,  fre- 
quently are  not  available  for  eggs.  Unless  you  feed  the 
proper  balance  of  both  elements  above  body  maintenance, 
you  cannot  get  the  best  results. 

Three-fourths  of  the  food  eaten  by  the  average  hen  is  used 
for  maintenance  of  her  body.  This  leaves  one-fourth  for  the 
production  of  eggs.  The  number  of  eggs  the  poultry  raiser 
gets,  depends  on  the  amount  of  yolk-making  and  white-mak- 
ing material  contained  in  the  one-fourth.  If  this  one-fourth 
is  all  yolk-making  material  or  all  white-making  material,  you 
won't  get  any  eggs,  for  a  hen  can't  lay  a  yolk  without  a  white 
or  a  white  without  a  yolk. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  yolks  and  whites 
it  is  possible  to  produce  from  100  Ibs.  of  each  of  the  ingred- 
ients mentioned: 

Yolks    Whites 

Corn   255         134 

Kaffir 254         125 

Wheat  242         182 

Barley  .  ...203         145 

(Average  25  Ibs.  of  each) 239         147 

As  a  hen  cannot  lay  half  an  egg  it  is  seen  that  a  mixture 
of  these  grains  can  produce  only  147  eggs,  though  there  are 
elements  for  239  yolks. 

A  balanced  ration  for  laying  hens  is  a  scientific  blending 
of  suitable  ingredients  in  the  correct  proportions  to  make 
the  greatest  equal  number  of  white  and  yolks  above  the  body 
maintenance  of  the  hen  without  waste.  Heavy  layers  will 
produce  more  eggs  from  the  same  amount  of  feed. 

SELECTION  OF  BREED 

It  is  generally  said  that  the  breed  to  keep  is  the  breed  that 
has  the  strongest  appeal  to  you  personally.  Then  you  will 
have  the  greatest  possible  interest  in  your  flock  and  give 
them  the  best  attention  and  care. 

60 


For  the  average  backyard  or  general  farm  poultry  raiser, 
the  American  or  English  breeds  are  most  generally  favored. 
These  classes  include  Plymouth  Rock,  Wyandotte,  Java, 
Dominique,  Rhode  Island  Red,  Buckeye,  and  Orpington. 
These  breeds  will  lay  brown  shelled  eggs.  The  American 
breeds  have  yellow  skins  and  shanks  free  from  feathers. 
The  Orpington,  which  is  of  English  origin,  has  a  white  skin. 

Any  of  these  breeds  can  be  brought  to  high  egg  produc- 
tion by  scientific  breeding  and  feeding,  although  they  are 
not  of  the  natural  egg  type.  They  are  more  desirable  for  the 
table  than  the  egg  type.  It  is  the  strain  that  counts. 

The  birds  of  Mediterranean  origin  are  best  suited  for  the 
production  of  white-shelled  eggs.  They  are  seldom  bred  for 
meat,  but  are  generally  favored  for  production  of  eggs  on  a 
commercial  scale.  The  most  typical  representatives  of  this 
class  are :  Leghorn,  Minorca,  Ancona,  and  Andalusian. 

The  egg  breeds  are  nervous  in  temperament,  and  gener- 
ally make  poor  sitters.  It  is  always  better  to  use  artificial 
incubation  when  fowls  of  this  type  are  kept. 

The  Langshan,  Brahma,  and  Cochin  are  the  typical  repre- 
sentatives of  the  meat  type.  These  are  often  kept  as  general 
purpose  birds  and  can  be  brought  to  fair  egg  production  by 
careful  breeding  and  scientific  feeding.  They  are  heavier  and 
larger  than  either  the  general  purpose  or  egg  breeds.  They 
lay  brown  eggs  and  have  feathers  on  their  shanks. 

In  selecting  the  individual  birds  for  breeders,  pay  partic- 
ular attention  to  the  male  bird  at  the  head  of  the  flock.  He 
must  be  standard  bred.  A  standard-bred  male  at  the  head 
of  a  mongrel  flock  will  improve  the  quality  of  the  stock  ma- 
terially. A  mongrel  male  will  produce  no  improvement  in 
quality  whatsoever. 

If  you  raise  your  own  flock  keep  your  eyes  open  for  breed- 
ers from  time  to  time  for  hatching.  The  bird  that  always  is 
first  to  get  food  thrown  into  the  yard,  the  cockrel  that  crows 
first,  and  the  hens  that  are  last  to  roost  and  first  off  the  roost 
in  the  morning,  are  the  types  of  birds  to  select  for  breeders. 
Mate  the  vigorous  prepotent  sons  of  an  exceptionally  heavy 
layer  with  prepotent  females  of  known  laying  ability.  Mate 
cocks  with  mature  pullets  or  mature  cockerels  with  hens. 

Never  inbreed.  Even  if  you  have  to  borrow  a  rooster  from 
one  of  the  neighbors,  do  so  and  get  some  new  blood  in  your 
flock.  Pure-bred  poultry  pays  in  cash,  opportunities  and 
satisfaction. 

61 


The  care  and  management  of  the  breeding  stock,  both 
male  and  female,  should  be  such  as  to  produce  birds  of 
strong  constitution  and  vigor.  The  males  should  be  removed 
from  the  breeding  pens  at  the  end  of  the  breeding  season 
and  not  returned  until  the  following  season.  Place  the  males 
in  a  pen  with  a  good  range  during  the  summer  and  provide 
a  warm  dry  sunny  and  well-ventilated  house  during  the 
winter. 

Do  not  allow  males  to  run  with  pullets  until  they  are  fully 
matured.  Never  allow  males  and  females  to  run  together 
during  the  hot  summer  weather  or  during  the  moult. 

Allow  your  males  intended  for  breeders  to  run  with 
females  occasionally  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  sterile. 
If  male  birds  are  kept  together  all  the  time,  they  develop 
bad  habits.  Keep  the  male  bird  by  himself  when  moulting. 
Keep  his  quarters  comfortable  and  dry  and  feed  him.  Do  not 
allow  the  male  to  develop  long,  sharp  spurs.  Saw  them  off. 

In  general  the  number  of  hens  usually  mated  to  a  single 
male  is  as  follows  for  the  respective  classes :  Asiatics,  eight 
to  ten ;  American,  English  and  French,  ten  to  fifteen ;  Medit- 
erranean, fifteen  to  twenty-five. 

START  THE  CHICKS  OUT  RIGHT 

The  main  factor  in  a  brooder  is  uniform  heat  which  is  80 
to  82°  to  start  with :  five  feet  from  the  source  of  the  heat. 
The  chicks  should  be  allowed  to  search  for  the  temperature 
that  suits  them  best.  After  the  fifth  day,  they  should  have 
free  range  of  the  whole  brooder  floor.  Little  chicks  should 
be  started  right.  Little  chicks  should  have  plenty  of  exercise 
and  they  love  to  scratch  in  a  litter. 

Spring  is  a  good  time  to  begin  poultry  raising.  Start  with 
a  few  general  purpose  birds  and  with  the  best  eggs  that  you 
can  buy.  This  will  insure  success  and  profit.  The  runt  never 
pays  its  board  bill.  Undersized  chicks  that  mature  slowly, 
frequently  are  caused  by  neglect  of  the  parent  stock. 

The  rapid  growth  of  your  poultry  is  dependent  upon  vig- 
orous physical  condition.  Examine  the  heads  of  the  chicks 
two  or  three  days  after  hatching.  If  hen  hatched  and  lice 
are  found,  rub  a  little  ointment  (made  by  mixing  lard  and 
Perfection  Lice  Powder  together)  on  the  head  and  under  the 
throat.  Dust  the  setting  hen  pinch  method  with  W.  C.  De 
Lapp's  Perfection  Lice  Powder  when  taking  her  off  the  nest. 

Keep  birds  of  different  ages  in  separate  runs. 

62 


* 


AVOID  HEATING  FEEDS 

During  the  summer  avoid  heating  feeds,  such  as  corn. 
Also  avoid  decayed  scraps  from  the  table,  decayed  fruits, 
etc.,  that  might  cause  diarrhoea.  Keep  the  houses  clean  and 
renew  nesting  material  frequently. 

Plant  a  bed  of  lettuce  for  growing  fowls  and  feed  the 
lettuce  fresh. 

SUNLIGHT 

During  the  winter  months,  give  your  poultry  the  advan- 
tage of  all  the  sunlight  that  you  can.  There  is  no  better  dis- 
infectant or  tonic.  The  larger  and  more  plentiful  the  win- 
dows, the  better.  Arrange  and  care  for  your  poultry  house 
so  that  lice,  mites  and  all  filth  and  dampness  will  be  elim- 
inated. 

Give  your  poultry  plenty  of  fresh  air,  but  beware  of  drafts. 
Remove  from  the  flock  those  birds  which  commence  to 
wheeze,  or  make  a  sniffling  sound  at  night. 

HEATING  CHICKENS  WITH  THEIR  OWN  BODY  HEAT 

Ventilation  is  one  thing  and  heating  pure  fresh  air  is  an- 
other: remember  that  you  cannot  heat  foul  air:  the  idea  is 
to  always  keep  the  air  pure  but  warm,  not  hot  for  baby 
chicks,  and,  for  growing  fowls  look  well  to  your  ventilating 
system,  always  keeping  in  mind  to  not  over  heat  nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  do  not  chill.  Keep  the  heat  uniform  and  the 
chickens  comfortable. 

IN  THE  MATTER  OF  RETURNING  EMPTY  GRAIN 

SACKS 

To  the  writer's  mind,  this  is  one  of  the  worst  evils  attend- 
ant upon  the  poultry  business.  Many  are  the  thousands  of 
dollars  that  are  lost  each  year  by  poultry  flocks  coming  down 
with  chickenpox,  diphtheritic  roup,  coccidiosis,  cholera,  etc., 
which  are  traceable  directly  to  the  evil  of  returning  grain 
sacks  to  the  mills  to  be  filled. 

In  a  plant  where  there  are  any  of  the  aforementioned  dis- 
eases, which  are  both  contagious  and  infectious,  these  dis- 
eases are  easily  traceable  to  such  sources.  And  the  quicker 
the  manufacturers  and  distributors  of  feeds  and  the  poultry- 
men  awaken  to  this  fact,  the  better  everybody  concerned  will 
be  off.  Not  that  anyone  is  particularly  careless  in  the  matter, 

63 


but  how  easy  it  is  for  these  diseases  to  be  carried  from  one 
poultry  ranch  to  another  through  the  medium  of  the  grain 
sack.  Sounds  reasonable,  doesn't  it?  Also  mites  and  lice  and 
chicken  ticks,  or  chicken  bedbugs  as  they  are  sometimes 
called,  which  are  all  a  curse  to  the  poultry  business,  may  be 
carried  in  the  same  manner. 

It  is  a  better  plan  to  take  the  empty  grain  sacks  and  pin 
them  or  tack  them  on  the  windward  side  of  your  poultry 
yard,  and  spray  them  with  a  good  disinfecting  spray,  made 
after  the  following  formula:  One  gallon  of  crank  case  or 
crude  oil,  one  quart  of  crude  carbolic  acid,  creosote  oil  or 
sheep  dip  and  two  gallons  of  kerosene  distillate  or  coal  oil 
tops.  The  crank  case  oil  may  be  obtained  from  any  garage, 
filling  station,  or  taken  from  your  own  auto  or  tractor.  It 
doesn't  cost  much  and  is  one  of  the  best  things  in  the  world 
to  use  around  a  poultry  yard,  or  to  put  mites  out  of  business 
with. 

This  article  is  not  written  with  the  idea  of  antagonizing 
anyone  or  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  anybody's  business, 
but  is  based  upon  real  honest  to  goodness  facts,  obtained 
from  practical  observation  and  experience. 

The  moral  of  this  article  is:  Do  not  return  empty  grain 
sacks,  and  thereby  save  yourself  and  your  neighbor  a  multi- 
tude of  worry,  and  lots  of  expense. 


A  FEW  REMEDIES,   FEED  MASHES,  SUGGESTIONS, 
ETC.,  FOR  THE  CARE  OF  POULTRY 


TO  ELIMINATE  WORMS  IN  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

Stir  one  pint  of  prescription  turpentine  in  five  gallons  of 
wheat  and  just  before  the  regular  grain  is  fed  in  the  after- 
noon and  the  chickens  are  hungry,  scatter  a  few  handf uls  on 
the  ground  so  that  each  chicken  will  have  a  chance  to  get  a 
few  grains  only.  The  idea  is  not  to  feed  them  too  much  at 
any  one  time.  Repeat  this  in  ten  days,  then  every  six  months 
and  repeat.  Follow  this  treatment  up  with  a  3%  dose  of 
Epsom  salts  given  in  the  mash.  Scatter  slacked  or  hydrated 
lime  over  the  ground  and  turn  it  under  so  as  to  kill  the  eggs 
of  the  worms  as  they  live  in  the  ground  quite  a  period. 
Always  keep  houses,  runways,  coops,  drinking  crocks  and 
everything  thoroughly  disinfected  in  and  about  the  prem- 
ises. This  remedy  will  not  affect  a  laying  hen  as  regards  to 

64 


the  producing  of  the  egg  yield.  It  is  economical  and  takes 
the  place  of  any  and  all  methods  of  eliminating  worms  from 
poultry  flocks  by  the  use  of  tobacco,  vermifuge,  and  other 
concoctions  and  emulsions  sold  for  such  purposes.  One  pint 
of  turpentine  which  costs  you  only  about  40c  will  treat  about 
500  birds  twice.  This  should  not  be  fed,  however,  to  chick- 
ens under  ten  weeks  old. 


PRICK'S  REMEDY  AND  TONIC  FOR  CHICKEN  POX 
(BIRD  POX) 

Ten  pounds  of  Dairy  Salt,  2%  pounds  ground  Jamaica 
Ginger,  10  pounds  Flour  of  Sulphur,  6  pounds  Baking  Soda, 
2  pounds  Carbonate  of  Magnesia,  10  pounds  Sodium  (pulver- 
ized nitrate,  10  pounds  powdered  Copperas  (Iron  Sul- 
phates), 10  pounds  Epsom  Salts,  50  pounds  Charcoal  (fine), 
50  pounds  fine  ground  bone,  granulated. 

The  charcoal  may  be  omitted  if  desired;  the  manner  of 
treatment  with  the  above  remedy  is,  in  the  event  of  a 
threatened  outbreak  of  the  disease,  mix  5  pounds  in  200 
pounds  of  dry  mash,  or  to  make  them  eat  it  better,  make  it 
a  crumbly  mash.  In  the  event  that  a  flock  has  it  or  rather 
gets  it,  feed:  First  feed  for  500  hens,  20  pounds  in  200 
pounds  of  mash :  Second  Feed,  15  pounds  in  200  pounds  of 
mash  for  500  hens.  Then  feed  6  pounds  in  200  pounds  of 
mash  for  500  hens.  By  this  time  the  disease  should  have 
disappeared,  these  feeds  fed  in  rotation. 

One  thing  must  be  understood,  that  disinfecting  runs, 
houses,  etc.,  keeping  drinking  vessels  filled  with  clean  water, 
is  necessary.  Paint  the  pox  with  Pearson's  Creolin  or  tinc- 
ture of  iron. 

W.  C.  DE  LAPP'S  SPECIAL  REMEDY 

FOR  THE  PREVENTION  AND  CONTROL  OF  CHICKEN 

POX   (BIRD  POX),  DIPHTHERITIC  ROUP 

AND  CANKER  COMBINED 

In  the  first  place,  Chickenpox,  and  all  kindred  diseases 
are  in  the  atmosphere,  and  are  carried  by  the  wind,  as  well 
as  on  the  clothing  and  shoes  of  persons  entering  a  poultry 
plant.  It  may  be,  and  is  sometimes  carried  by  grain  sacks 
which  have  been  on  the  ranches  where  birds  are  afflicted 
with  the  disease,  also  it  may  be  introduced  by  the  bringing 

65 


in  of  other  birds  afflicted  by  the  disease,  or  from  the  show- 
room. Any  good  protection  on  the  windward  side  of  the 
poultry  plant  should  be  looked  to.  For  instance,  the  placing 
of  grain  sacks,  or  burlap,  on  the  windward  side  and  keeping 
the  same  sprayed  with  any  good  disinfecting  spray,  is  cer- 
tainly a  good  thing.  In  anticipation  of  the  disease,  or  when 
it  first  makes  its  appearance  in  a  flock  of  birds,  the  follow- 
ing remedy  or  remedies,  may  be  resorted  to. 

Dissolve  one  tablespoonf  ul  of  cream  of  tartar  in  one  pint  of 
boiling  water  and  put  this  in  the  drinking  water,  proportion- 
ately, one  pint  to  one  half  gallon  of  water.  Do  this  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning,  so  they  will  get  the  benefit  of  it.  The 
idea  is  to  put  enough  of  the  cream  of  tartar  water  out  so 
that  each  chicken  will  receive  its  full  share.  Keep  this  up 
until  the  disease  is  cured.  The  number  of  chickens  served 
with  the  cream  of  tartar  water  depends  on  the  amount  that 
each  chicken  drinks.  It  being  understood  that  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  designate  how  many  chickens  should  be  served  with 
each  one  half  gallon  of  drinking  water.  This  remedy  is  also 
good  as  a  tonic  and  may  be  used  as  such  when  chickens  are 
in  a  run  down  condition.  Also,  in  anticipation  of  an  outbreak 
of  chickenpox,  this  remedy  may  be  resorted  to  with  bene- 
ficial effects.  In  measuring  the  cream  of  tartar,  sixty-four 
tablespoonsf  ul  are  contained  in  one  pound.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested by  some  that  Epsom  salts  be  used  in  connection  with 
this  remedy,  but  to  the  writer's  mind,  this  is  absolutely  un- 
necessary, as  the  cream  of  tartar  will  do  the  work  without 
the  aid  of  the  Epsom  salts,  although  the  salts  are  a  good 
thing  to  give  in  the  treatment  of  almost  any  kind  of  disease 
in  poultry  flocks.  Cream  of  tartar  is  a  carthartic,  diuretic 
and  a  refrigerant  and  can  be  depended  on  to  do  the  work 
intended  for  it  if  properly  used.  If  you  wish  to  amplify  the 
work  of  the  cream  of  tartar,  carbonate  of  magnesia  may  be 
resorted  to»  using  about  2%,  that  is  to  say,  about  2  pounds 
to  every  100  pounds  of  dry  mash,  mixed  thoroughly. 

Next,  take  out  of  the  flock  all  those  chickens  that  have  a 
watery  eye,  and  inject  through  the  nostrils  with  a  small 
urethral  syringe  (this  syringe  may  be  purchased  at  any 
druggist  for  about  35  cents)  the  following:  One  pint  of  salad 
oil,  one  half  pint  of  prescription  turpentine,  one  half  pint  of 
kerosene,  and  two  ounces  of  gum  camphor.  The  gum  cam- 
phor is  soluble  in  the  turpentine.  In  the  event  of  canker  in 
the  mouth  and  throat,  first  remove  the  canker  with  a  steril- 
ized crochet  hook  and  apply  to  denuded  spots  Pearson's  Cre- 

66 


olin  or  tincture  of  iron.  This  may  also  be  applied  to  the 
warts  or  pox  in  the  place  of  iodine. 

Keep  runs,  yards,  houses,  etc.,  thoroughly  disinfected  and 
drinking  crocks  clean.  The  drinking  crocks  may  be  disinfect- 
ed with  lysol.  Vaccination  of  the  fowls  afflicted  has  been 
recommended  by  certain  of  our  universities,  but  to  the  writ- 
er's mind  this  does  not  give  satisfactory  results,  although  by 
some  it  has  been  practiced  with  success.  The  above  treat- 
ment of  chickenpox,  etc.,  may  be  amplified  by  the  thorough 
spraying  of  houses,  runs,  coops,  etc.  And  before  the  spray 
soaks  in,  mix  either  air-slaked  or  hydrated  lime  and  W.  C. 
De  Lapp's  Perfection  Lice  Powder,  50-50.  And  scatter  this 
mixture  well  over  everything,  and  you  will  be  surprised  to 
see  how  quickly  the  disease  will  disappear. 

This  article  is  written  to  emphasize  what  has  already  been 
written  on  this  subject  in  this  book  and  as  this  disease  is 
almost  universal  too  much  can  not  be  learned  regarding  it. 

SCALEY  LEGS 

For  scaley  legs  use  one  pint  of  raw  Linseed  oil  and  y% 
pint  of  kerosene  and  a  few  drops  of  crude  carbolic  acid.  Dip 
feet  of  the  fowl  in  this  mixture  but  avoid  getting  it  on  the 
feathers. 


FOR  BLACKHEAD  IN  CHICKENS  AND  TURKEYS 

Sulphur,  5  grains.  Copperas  (Sulphates  of  Iron) ,  1  grain, 
or — 

Copperas  (Sulphates  of  Iron) ,  1  grain ;  Sallicylate  of  Soda, 
1  grain. 

These  remedies  should  be  preceded  and  followed  by  a  dose 
of  castor  oil  or  Epsom  salts. 

Another  good  remedy  is  any  good  brand  of  liver  pills :  to 
small  birds  y%  a  pill ;  to  older  ones  a  whole  one. 


CATARRH  OF  CROP 

Hold  chicken's  head  downward  and  gently  press  contents 
of  crop  out.  Dissolve  one  grain  of  Sallicylate  acid  in  an  ounce 
of  water  and  give  three  teaspoonsf ul  at  once.  Feed  carefully 
with  hard  grains  and  do  not  feed  wet  mash. 

67 


FOR  WHITE  DIARRHOEA  IN  BABY  CHICKS 

A  tablespoonf  ul  of  ground  Jamaica  Ginger  in  a  quart  of 
boiling  water.  When  cool,  add  a  tablespoonful  of  Baking 
Soda.  Use  three  teaspoonsful  to  each  quart  of  drinking 
water.  This  is  also  good  as  a  tonic  for  hens.  Buttermilk  is 
also  a  sure  cure  for  Diarrhoea,  but  do  not  over  do  it. 

A  TONIC  FOR  POULTRY 

One  pound  Sassafras  bark,  I  pound  Oxide  of  Iron  (red). 
Boil  in  5  gallons  of  water.  When  cool  stir  in  1  tablespoonful 
of  permanganate  of  potash.  Seal  in  jugs  or  jars.  Use  y%  pint 
of  this  mixture  to  every  3  gallons  of  drinking  water  and  use 
3  or  4  days  at  a  time  as  occasion  demands. 

FOR  GAPES  IN  CHICKENS 

If  only  a  few  are  troubled,  most  of  them  may  be  saved  by 
removing  the  worms  from  the  windpipes  of  the  chickens 
with  a  horse  hair  or  fine  wire.  They  may  be  put  into  a 
brooder,  where  they  can  be  more  quickly  treated.  Sprinkle 
air  slaked  lime  and  pulverized  sulphur  on  the  cloth 
cover  of  the  brooder.  When  the  chicks  move  about  in  the 
brooder,  the  lime  and  sulphur  is  sifted  through  the  cloth, 
causing  the  chicks  to  inhale  a  little  of  it  during  the  night. 
A  very  little  of  the  lime  and  sulphur  should  be  used  at  a 
time  so  as  not  to  smother  the  chicks.  The  same  treatment 
is  also  good  for  colds,  canker,  etc.  Another  good  remedy  is 
to  mix  a  few  drops  of  turpentine  with  the  feed,  but  avoid 
giving  too  much. 

CHOLERA 


For  Cholera  in  poultry,  give  2  to  4  teaspoonsful  of  a 
carbolic  solution  twice  a  day  to  each  bird.  This  is  made  by 
adding  one  part  of  the  5  %  solution  of  carbolic  acid  to  9  parts 
water. 

FOR  DISINFECTING  USE 

Six  ounces  of  crude  carbolic  acid  to  each  gallon  of  white- 
wash for  poultry  houses. 

A  GOOD  TONIC,  STRENGTH,  AND  EGG  PRODUCER 

One  pound  Red  Indian  Gum,  li/2  pints  U.  S.  P.  turpentine, 
pints  refined  linseed,  olive,  and  cotton  seed  oils  mixed. 
First  add  oils  to  gum,  then  add  50%  of  water  and  mix  with 

68 


an  egg  beater.  Cotton  seed  oil  in  the  same  quantity  may  be 
substituted  for  the  olive  oil,  but  one  must  remember  in  feed- 
ing cotton  seed  oil,  when  we  reach  the  quantity  of  4%,  the 
eggs  produced  by  the  hens  at  this  time,  will  not  keep  as  well 
in  cold  storage.  One  gallon  of  this  tonic  should  be  mixed 
with  one  ton  of  mash  to  be  fed  to  hens;  for  little  chickens 
over  4  weeks  old  use  only  y%  pint  to  a  ton  of  mash.  It  has 
been  an  argument  or  rather  a  question  with  a  great  many- 
poultry  men  and  women  whether  cotton  seed  oil  is  responsi- 
ble for  the  dark  yolk  in  the  egg,  or  whether  too  much  alfalfa 
green  is  the  real  cause  of  the  egg  yolk  turning  dark.  If  one 
will  balance  their  ration  with  cracked  Indian  corn,  which  has 
a  tendency  to  color  the  yolk  of  the  egg  yellow,  this  may  be 
avoided.  Yet  this  is  a  question  still  to  be  decided. 

GOING  LIGHT 

There  are  five  different  causes  for  chickens  going  light — 
lice,  mites,  intestinal  worms,  tuberculosis,  and  cholera.  First 
determine  the  cause  and  treat  the  fowl  accordingly.  Ex- 
amine the  body  for  lice — the  perches  also  for  mites— and  the 
droppings  for  intestinal  worms.  Cholera  is  determined  by  a 
slimy  greenish  dropping. 

TO  PREVENT  SPREAD  OF  ROUP 

What  will  lay  on  a  dime  of  Permanganate  of  Potash  to 
each  gallon  of  drinking  water  should  be  used  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  Roup. 

GROWING  MASH  FOR  BABY  CHICKS  AFTER  10 
WEEKS  OLD 

Leave  before  them  at  all  times :  Two  parts  by  weight  each 
— Bran  and  Middlings.  One  part — Corn  or  Feed  Meal,  10% 
sifted  Beef  Scraps.  Mix  with  regular  laying  mash,  equal 
parts  by  weight. 

TONICS 

No.  1. 
Pulverized  gentian,  one  Ib. 

ginger,  one-fourth  Ib. 

salt  petre,  one-fourth  Ib. 

copperas  (iron  sulphates) ,  one-fourth  Ib. 

nux  vomica,  one-fourth  Ib. 

69 


Mix  this  in  500  Ibs.  of  dry  mash  and  feed  as  long  as  de- 
sired as  a  tonic. 

No.  2. 

Sulphur,  nine  Ibs. 
Epsom  Salts,  five  Ibs. 
Bicarbonate  of  Soda,  three  Ibs. 
Pdw.  Copperas  (Iron  Sulphates),  three  Ibs. 
Dampen  with  cold  water  and  feed  one  pound  to  every  one 
hundred  hens  in  the  mash  twice  a  week. 


HEN  MASH 

500  Ibs.  fine  Bran,  100  Ibs.  Cracked  Corn,  100  Ibs.  Shorts, 
100  Ibs.  Soy  Bean  Meal,  50  Ibs.  fine  sifted  Beef  Scraps,  50 
Ibs.  Bone  Meal. 

MOULTING  MASH 

100  Ibs.  Bran,  25  Ibs.  Sulphur,  10  Ibs.  Ground  Sunflower 
Seed,  10  Ibs.  Oil  Cake  Meal,  25  Ibs.  Feed  Meal  (corn),  2  Ibs. 
fine  Charcoal.  Feed  this  mash  50-50  with  any  good  laying 
mash  during  the  moult. 


STANDARD  MASH  FOR  LAYING  HENS 

600  Ibs.  Bran,  400  Ibs.  Corn  Meal,  100  Ibs.  Cocoanut  Meal, 
300  Ibs.  ground  Wheat,  100  Ibs.  ground  Hulled  Oats,  100  Ibs. 
Meat  Meal  or  Blood  Meal,  50  Ibs.  Ground  Soy  Bean  Meal, 
200  Ibs.  Darling's  or  Crolie's  Beef  Scraps,  100  Ibs.  fine  Bone, 
50  Ibs.  Charcoal  (fine),  20  Ibs.  Salt. 


HEN  MASHES 

No.  1 

Two  sacks  Bran,  2  sacks  Rolled  Barley,  53%  pounds  Fish 
Meal  A-l,  8  Ibs.  Ground  Bone,  13i/2  Ibs.  Soy  Bean  Meal, 
10  oz.  Salt. 

No.  2 

1000  Ibs.  Bran,  300  Ibs.  ground  Wheat,  300  Ibs.  Middlings, 
400  Ibs.  Crolie's  or  Darling's  H.  P.  Beef  Scraps,  100  Ibs.  Oil 
Cake  Meal,  100  Ibs.  ground  Bone,  50  Ibs.  fine  ground  Char- 
coal, 10  Ibs.  fine  Salt. 

70 


DUCK  MASH 

20  sacks  Bran,  3  sacks  Darling's  or  Crolie's  Beef  Scraps,  2 
sacks  Cotton  Seed  Meal,  4  sacks  ground  Egyptian  Corn,  and 
feed  with  this  50%  green  Alfalfa. 

FEEDING  TURKEYS 

Do  not  feed  until  48  hours  old.  First  feed  hard  boiled  eggs. 
For  one  week,  corn  bread  and  chopped  onions  with  greens 
should  be  fed.  Feed  at  all  times  from  the  beginning,  cottage 
cheese  mixed  with  a  little  red  pepper  and  boiled  rice  mixed 
with  bran.  Let  the  rice  be  boiled  until  dry.  The  main  thing  is 
brooding.  Weather  permitting,  allow  them  to  run  outside. 
Permit  them  to  have  access  to  fine  gravel.  They  should  be 
given  baby  chick  food  the  same  as  chickens  with  rolled  oats 
rubbed  in  same.  The  first  few  weeks  and  after  that,  the 
mixed  grains  and  sour  milk  should  be  fed.  Peanuts  are  also  a 
wonderful  thing  for  fattenting  turkeys  for  the  market  and 
they  also  must  be  supplied  with  greens  the  same  as  the 
chickens. 

It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  main  thing  with  baby 
turkeys  is  to  see  that  they  are  kept  comfortably  warm  and 
like  a  baby  chick,  feed  them  five  times  a  day,  always  avoid- 
ing overfeeding.  The  same  diligent  care  must  be  applied  to 
the  raising  of  baby  turkeys  as  baby  chicks,  it  being  remem- 
bered that  they  cannot  stand  as  much  as  a  chick.  Let  them 
have  free  range. 

MASH  FOR  BABY  CHICKS 

Another  good  baby  chick  mash  may  be  made  of  ground 
milo,  fine  corn,  and  wheat — equal  parts  by  weight  combined 
with  1/2  beef  scrap,  %  fine  bone  and  %  fine  charcoal. 

THE  BROODING  OF  BABY  CHICKS 

In  addition  to  feeding  baby  chickens,  great  care  must  be 
taken  in  brooding.  They  should  not  be  kept  too  warm — 80 
to  82°  of  heat  from  the  beginning  is  enough.  Also  avoid 
sweating.  Do  not  allow  them  to  chill,  however,  and  as  the 
chicks  continue  to  grow,  after  a  few  days,  gradually  cut 
down  the  heat.  Of  course  a  great  deal  depends  on  the  cli- 
mate. Another  thing  in  the  care  of  the  baby  chicks  is  toe 
picking,  which  may  be  prevented  by  using  blue  calsomine  on 
the  brooder  house  windows,  so  as  to  throw  a  shade  on  their 

71 


little  feet  or  fine  cut  alfalfa  or  litter  may  be  placed  on  the 
floors  and  in  the  runways  so  the  toe  nails  will  not  be  exposed 
to  view.  Another  good  thing  is  to  mix  Bon  Ami,  blueing  and 
water  together,  and  paint  windows. 

THE  FEEDING  OF  LAYING  HENS 

In  feeding  laying  hens,  the  first  feed  in  the  morning 
should  be  thrown  in  a  litter,  compelling  the  hens  to  work  for 
same.  A  good  laying  mash  should  be  left  before  them  all 
the  time.  Use  great  care  in  feeding  wet  or  crumbly  mashes 
for  this  will  cause  intestinal  trouble.  The  evening  feed  should 
consist  principally  of  wheat.  During  the  winter  time,  or 
cool  weather,  a  little  corn  should  be  added.  Greens  should 
be  given  twice  a  day.  The  best  greens  are  barley  in  the 
winter  time  and  soudan  grass  in  the  summer  time.  The 
latter  should  be  planted  in  rows  as  a  matter  of  convenience 
both  for  irrigating  and  cutting.  Most  any  kind  of  greens  are 
good,  but  the  two  mentioned  are  the  best.  Among  other 
greens  for  feed  may  be  classed  kale,  beets,  lettuce,  alfalfa, 
cabbage,  clover,  and  lawn  clippings.  Mangel  beets  hung  on  a 
nail  a  few  inches  from  the  ground,  compelling  the  hen  to 
jump  for  same,  not  only  gives  them  exercise  but  furnishes  a 
good  ration. 

Good  clean  drinking  water  must  always  be  provided,  served 
in  crocks  if  convenient  if  you  expect  to  obtain  the  best  re- 
sults either  for  health  or  laying. 

SPECIES  OF  MITES  AND  LICE  COMMONLY  KNOWN 
TO  POULTRY  FLOCKS 

The  seven  common  species  of  lice  are  the  head  louse,  body 
louse,  shaft  louse,  wing  louse,  fluff  louse,  hen  louse  (large — 
sometimes  called  the  chicken  bed  bug),  depluming  or  itchy 
mite,  and  brown  louse  which  is  not  often  found.  There  is 
also  a  hen  flea,  sticktite  flea,  red  mite,  and  scaly  leg  mite. 
The  four  latter  breed  in  the  soil  and  in  the  houses,  nests, 
etc.,  while  the  lice  breed  on  the  hen. 

DISEASE  CAUSES  FAILURES 

One  of  the  most  serious  obstacles  to  profitable  poultry 
keeping  is  the  effect  of  disease  in  arresting  the  productive 
activity  of  the  flock  and  in  decreasing  its  numbers.  More 
failures  in  the  poultry  business  are  traceable  to  disease  than 

72 


any  other  cause.  Mites,  lice  and  intestinal  worms  cause  low 
vitality  and  low  vitality  brings  on  disease  with  its  conse- 
quent losses. 

HUMANE  MEDICAL  TREATMENT 

It  is  well  known  that  the  body  of  a  chicken,  as  all  obser- 
vation proves,  is  similar  to  that  of  man.  The  body  of  a 
chicken  is  composed  of  similar  elements,  has  similar  organs 
acting  in  the  same  way,  similar  propensities,  but  the  mental 
faculties  are  less  fully  developed.  It  is  important  to  bear  this 
in  mind  because  a  chicken  requires  the  same  intelligent 
treatment  as  man  and  should  receive  humane  treatment  as 
it  feels  pain  the  same  as  man. 

ANALYSIS  OF  BODY 

Analysis  shows  that  the  body  of  a  chicken,  weighing  5 
pounds,  is  composed  of  2  pounds  12  ounces  of  water  and  2 
pounds  4  ounces  of  solid  matter.  The  more  important  ones 
are  as  follows:  Oxygen,  Nitrogen  (all  gases)  with  Carbon, 
Phosphorous,  Sulphur,  Calcium,  Sodium,  Magnesium,  Iron, 
Copper,  etc.  This  ratio  is  found  in  man. 

MEDICAL  TREATMENT 

In  the  treatment  of  sick  birds,  medicines  should  not  be 
administered  blindly,  but  on  the  contrary  there  should  be  a 
clear  idea  before  the  remedy  is  selected,  of  what  is  to  be 
accomplished,  otherwise  more  harm  than  good  will  result. 
Thus  if  a  bird  is  troubled  with  diarrhoea,  do  not  give  medi- 
cine for  constipation. 

It  is  more  than  futile  to  attempt  to  prescribe  for  every 
symptom.  It  is  the  underlying  cause  which  must  be  sought 
out  and  treated  and  the  patient  will  soon  recover  from  the 
other  disorders.  A  bird  free  from  sickness  should  never 
receive  medical  treatment. 

ANTAGONISM 

It  is  imperative  that  medicinies  should  not  be  adminis- 
tered that  are  antagonistic,  that  is :  drugs  that  are  opposed 
to  each  other  in  their  physiological  effects.  Thus  mixing 
Potassium  Permanganate  with  other  organic  matter  gives 
up  part  of  its  oxygen,  thereby  losing  its  color  and  is  no  longer 
active. 

73 


W.  C.  DE  LAPPS  SPECIAL  TONICS  FOR  POULTRY 

One  gallon  of  this  tonic  should  be  mixed  with  one  ton  of 
mash,  to  be  fed  when  needed. 

No.  1. 

I  Ib.  Pulverized  Gentian. 
Ib.  Ground  Jamaica  Ginger. 
Ib.  Pulverized  Salt  Petre. 
14  Ib.  Copperas  (Iron  Sulphates). 
An  ounce  to  a  gallon  of  feed. 

No.  2. 

10  oz.  Ground  Mustard. 
8  oz.  Foengreed. 
1  oz.  Ground  Jamaica  Ginger. 

5  oz.  Oil  Cake  Meal. 

4  oz.  Flour  of  Sulphur. 

1  oz.  Capsicum. 

3  oz.  Bone  Meal. 

3  oz.  Fine  Ground  Oyster  Shell. 

3  oz.  Precipitated  Chalk. 

1  oz.  Magnesia  Sulphate. 

One  tablespoonf  ul  to  one  quart  of  feed,  three  times  a  week. 

No.  3. 

1  pound  Sassafrac  Bark,  1  pound  Oxide  of  Iron  (Red). 
Boil  in  5  gallons  of  water.  When  cool  stir  in  1  tablespoonf  ul 
of  Permanganate  of  Potash ;  seal  in  jugs  or  jars;  use  %  pint 
of  this  mixture  to  every  2  gallons  of  drinking  water;  use 
this  3  or  4  days  at  a  time  as  occasion  demands. 

No.  4. 

9  Ibs.  Flour  of  Sulphur. 
5  Ibs.  Epsom  Salts. 

3  Ibs.  Bicarbonate  of  Soda. 
3  Ibs.  Powdered  Copperas  (Iron  Sulphates). 
Feed  1  pound  to  every  100  hens  in  the  mash---dampened 
with  cold  water. 

No.  5. 

10  Ibs.  Dairy  Salt. 
21/2  Ibs.  Jamaica  Ginger. 

10  Ibs.  Flour  of  Sulphur. 

6  Ibs.  Baking  Soda. 

2  Ibs.  Carbonate  of  Magnesia. 
10  Ibs.  Sodium  pulverized  nitrate. 

74 


10  Ibs.  Powdered  Copperas  (Iron  Sulphates) 
10  Ibs.  Epsom  Salts. 
50  Ibs.  Charcoal  (fine). 
50  Ibs.  Fine  Ground  Bone. 
Mix  5  Ibs.  to  200  Ibs.  dry  mash  for  500  hens. 

A  GOOD  TONIC  FOR  HENS 

One-half  teaspoon  of  Venetian  Red  to  each  hen  in  mash 
once  a  week. 
FOR  WARTS  AND  POX— AN  ADDITIONAL  REMEDY 

Dissolve  1%  oz.  of  Boric  Acid  to  1  pz.  of  Biborate  of 
Soda  in  a  quart  of  warm  water.  For  Chicken  Pox  apply  to 
denuded  tissues  with  medicine  dropper  or  pledget  of  cotton. 
Also  a  2%  solution  of  Creolin  or  Lysol  may  be  used. 

For  canker  put  Chlorate  of  Potash  in  drinking  water  or 
use  Flour  of  Sulphur  in  the  mouth  and  after  removing  the 
canker  paint  with  iodine  or  use  1/10  iodine  and  9/10  gylc- 
erine.  This  may  be  applied  by  stripping  a  feather  almost  to 
the  end  or  using  the  same  as  the  swab. 

ALL  IN  ONE  FEED— IS  IT  RIGHT  OR  WRONG? 

The  idea  of  an  all  in  one  feed  is  not  entirely  new,  and 
there  are  a  great  many  arguments  pro  and  con,  as  regards 
the  same.  To  the  writer's  mind,  an  all  in  one  Teed  is  O.  K. 
under  certain  conditions  and  circumstances,  but  it  furnishes 
a  wide  and  varied  latitude  of  using  up  everything  that  goes 
to  make  up  a  feed  for  poultry,  as  it  were,  a  sort  of  potpouri. 
Personally,  I  would  prefer  to  feed  poultry  in  a  regular  way, 
that  is  to  say,  whether  young  or  old,  feed  a  balanced  ration, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  flock,  the  housing  conditions, 
whether  enclosed  or  free  range.  Every  poultry  keeper  knows 
that  a  breeding  hen  should  be  fed  differently  and  handled 
different  from  a  straight  commercial  hen.  Also  the  lighter 
breeds  can  handle  more  animal  protein  than  the  heavier 
breeds,  etc.,  etc.  Also  in  the  matter  of  greens,  you  positively 
must  know  the  amount  of  animal  protein  being  fed  to  feed 
greens  intelligently  to  poultry. 

In  concluding  this  book,  the  writer  hopes  that  to  those  who 
have  read  it,  that  much  good  has  come  to  them.  The  idea 
in  writing  this  book  was  for  the  uplifting  of  the  poultry 
business  in  particular  and  the  helping  of  all  persons  engaged 
in  the  same.  This  work  will  probably  be  supplemented  at 
some  future  time  by  other  books  written  with  the  idea  of 
keeping  abreast  with  the  times. 

W.  C.  DE  LAPP. 

76 


INDEX 

Page 

Introduction  3 

Experience  Necessary 5 

When  Does  It  Pay  to  Incubate  Eggs 6 

The  Hatching  of  Chicks  with  Incubators 7 

Cleaning  Up  After  the  Carpenters 10 

Water  Proofing  Cement  Floors 10 

The  Building  of  a  Real  Profitable  Poultry  Business — 

Handling  the  Chicks 10 

Feeding  Baby  Chicks 12 

Hatch  Eggs  From  Heavy  Producing  Hens 13 

Plant  Sunflowers  and  Green  Feed 13 

Do  Not  Feed  Baby  Chickens  Coarse  Grit 13 

To   Eliminate  Stick-tite  Fleas   From   Poultry  Houses, 

Yards,  Etc 13 

A  Formula  for  the  Feeding  of  Broilers  for  the  Early 

Market 14 

Special  Culling  and  Feeding  Pullets  for  Egg  Production....  14 

Chicks  Hatched  Early  Are  Most  Profitable 15 

Caponizing  17 

Marketing 17 

The  Culling  of  Pullets 17 

The  Best  Ration  Is  the  Cheapest 18 

Slackers  Eat  Up  Profits 19 

A  Few  Practical  Poultry  Pointers  as  Practiced  by  Pro- 
gressive Poultry  People 21 

The  Inclosed  System  Versus  the  Open  Yard 34 

A  Few  Things  One  Should  Know 35 

The  Gleaning  of  the  Eggs 35 

If  a  Chicken  has  Cholera 35 

"    Apoplexy 37 

"    Vertigo  37 

"  "        "         "    Contagious  Catarrh  or  Roup 37 

"  "        "         "    Pip  38 

"    Bumble  Foot 38 

is  Eggbound  38 

has  Chicken  Pox 39 

goes  Light 39 

has  Tuberculosis 40 

"     Gapes 40 

is  Crop-bound  40 

has  Limber-neck 40 

"     Coccidiosis  41 

76 


INDEX 

Page 

If  a  Chicken  has  Blackhead 41 

"    Gout 41 

"    Worms   42 

Coccidiosis  in  Poultry  Flocks 42 

Croup  in  Poultry  Flocks 43 

The  Making  and  Keeping  of  Poultry  Records 43 

Protecting  Poultry  Flocks 43 

Causes  and  Prevention  of  Leg  Weakness  in  Poultry  Flocks  44 

Poultry  Profits 45 

Premature  Moulting  of  Poultry  Flocks 45 

Throwing  Out  the  Moulters 46 

The  Art  of  Culling  the  Poultry  Flock 47 

Remedy  for  Local  Application  for  Roup 51 

For  Roup  or  Contagious  Catarrh 51 

Remove  the  Cause 52 

Sanitary  Requirements 52 

Admitting  Draughts  of  Air  to  Poultry  Houses  and  Yards  52 
Why  Chickens  Have  Chicken  Pox  and  Dipheritic  Roup....  53 

Processing  Barley  for  Chicken  Feed 55 

Why  Hens  Do  Not  Lay  More  Eggs 55 

The  Care  of  the  Chicken 57 

Impossible  for  a  Hen  to  Lay  Half  an  Egg 59 

Selection  of  Breed 60 

Start  the  Chicks  Out  Right 62 

Avoid  Heating  Feeds 63 

Sunlight   63 

Heating  Chickens  with  Their  Own  Body  Heat 63 

In  the  Matter  of  Returning  Empty  Grain  Sacks 63 

To  Eliminate  Worms  in  Poultry  Flocks 64 

Frick's  Remedy  for  Chicken  Pox  (Bird  Pox) 65 

W.  C.  DeLapp's  Special  Remedy  for  the  Control  of  Chick- 
en Pox   (Bird  Pox),  Diphtheritic  Roup  and  Canker 

Combined  65 

Scaley  Legs  67 

For  Blackhead  in  Chickens  and  Turkeys 67 

Catarrh  of  Crop 67 

For  White  Diarrhoea  in  Baby  Chicks 68 

A  Tonic  for  Poultry 68 

For  Gapes  in  Chickens 68 

Cholera  68 

For  Disinfecting  Use 68 

A  Good  Tonic,  Strength,  and  Egg  Producer 68 

77 


INDEX 

Page 

Going  Light 69 

To  Prevent  Spread  of  Roup 69 

Growing  Mash  for  Baby  Chicks  After  10  Weeks  Old 69 

Tonics— No  1  69 

No.  2 70 

Hen  Mash 70 

Moulting  Mash 70 

Standard  Mash  for  Laying  Hens 70 

Hen  Mashes— No.  1 70 

No.  2 70 

Duck  Mash 71 

Feeding  Turkeys 71 

Mash  for  Baby  Chicks 71 

The  Brooding  of  Baby  Chicks 71 

The  Feeding  of  Laying  Hens 72 

Species  of  Mites  and  Lice  Commonly  Known  to  Poultry 

Flocks  72 

Disease  Causes  Failures 72 

Humane  Medical  Treatment 73 

Analysis  of  Body 73 

Medical  Treatment  73 

Antagonism  73 

W.  C.  DeLapp's  Special  Tonics  for  Poultry— No.  1 74 

No.  2 74 

No.  3 74 

No.  4 74 

No.  5 74 

A  Good  Tonic  for  Hens 75 

For  Warts  and  Pox — an  Additional  Remedy 75 

All  In  One  Feed— Is  It  Right  or  Wrong 75 


78 


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XL 


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•  *  ~>h 


REC'D  LD 


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